Deterioration
by Vipaka
Summary: New attacks are disturbing the peace in Tokyo, and those closest to the senshi are being targetted, even victimized. Meanwhile, the Ginzuishou is in unprecedented peril. Post Galaxia U/M
1. Determinant

Ikuko laid out her daughter's lunch at the end of the table, balancing it just right so that it would stay on the corner without falling to the floor. Glancing at the clock, she nodded to herself and picked up a red marker off the floor to put back by the calendar. Exactly two more minutes before her tardy daughter woke up. She hummed to herself as she headed over to retrieve the fresh toast. Being that it was the beginning of summer vacation, her daughter's laziness would only result in a scolding from her friend Rei.

After buttering both pieces of toast, she laid them out, also on the very edge of the table. She looked up as a loud cry of "I'M SOOOOO LATE!" rang through the house, successfully destroying any peace that had existed before. Heading back over to the table, she poured her husband some more orange juice and waited by the end of the table, eyeing the stairs.

A great rumble sounded, and somewhere out of the smoke her daughter appeared, grabbed, and dashed towards the fdoor. The two pieces of toast had vanished with the smoke, as usual. Years of training kicked in and she called out "Don't forget lunch!" while tossing it with all her might at the door. She watched as it soared through the air, getting dangerously closer to the ground by the second. Five seconds before it could hit the ground her daughter's face reappeared, and disappeared again, this time taking the lunchbox with her.

"She hasn't changed a bit," Kenji remarked, smiling over his morning paper.

Nodding her agreement, she went back to her daily routine. Shingo had been sick all week and so it fell to her to nurse him back to health. He seemed to be enjoying the vacation from school. If he didn't improve soon though, she was going to force him to go to the doctor. Balancing a cup of yogurt on a tray with some fresh fruit slices she started up the stairs towards where she could hear the wheezy coughing of her son.

oOoOoOo

The ravens were crowing outside, and it roused Rei from a vicious nightmare. Disoriented, she sat up and assumed a meditative position, clearing her mind. Her training as a vessel for the sacred fire had taught her that memories were fickle creatures, and only returned when you stopped trying to find them. The gods would give hints, but never answers, and the prophetic nature of her dreams only made them more elusive to recall. She sat there for several minutes, finally giving up on gathering the remnants of the nightmare.

The gods were not in a merciful mood.

Rising she readied herself for the day; it had been a long night. She'd spent most of it in the prayer room beseeching the sacred fire, praying for guidance. The fire had been unresponsive to her, which was troubling in itself, and had resulted in a long restless night. It had been unresponsive for a full month now. She had passed it off as no news is good news, but something didn't sit right with her about the fire's continued silence.

It was nearing the beginning of May, and the cherry blossom trees that lined the edge of the shrine were still in bloom. The sunrise illuminated the trees from behind and created the illusion that they had been dipped in liquid gold. She inhaled deeply, taking in their scent and sending a silent prayer of appreciation up to the gods.

Rei swept the steps of the shrine, glancing up as Deimos let out an unusually raucous caw. Phobos sat at her side, both perched on the torii. Her gaze sliding downward, she saw their newest miko at the edge of the torii, sweeping as well.

The miko was a preteen by the name of Hitomi who attended Rei's private girl's school. She was an eager study and her bright smile and youthful naiveté charmed many patrons of the Hikawa Jinja into buying talismans and charms. She had only been working at the shrine for a month, but Rei had grown fond of her due to an uncannily familiar optimistic disposition she held about life.

As Rei approached her she could hear her grandfather rambling to the girl, half of it wisdom and half of it senile gibberish. "The torii is the boundary between the sacred realm and reality." His voice was raspy from coughing. He gestured to the two ravens sitting atop it, "and the crows watch out from above for evil spirits attempting to enter this holy place, and alert us of the danger." He turned wrinkled eyes to a middle-aged man climbing the many steps. His line of sight did not slip past Rei's notice, and she had to struggle not to roll her eyes.

She let a cynical smirk curl the corners of her lips, stepping up beside him, "Or they just start cawing at spectacularly unpleasant hours," like this, she added to herself. She cast an annoyed glance up at the ravens, calling out, "We know!" Almost immediately they quieted, turning their beaks to regard her. "And what are you doing out here, grandpa," she turned to her grandfather, putting her free hand on her hip. "You should be in bed resting."

The diminutive man held up his hands in surrender. "I just wanted to watch the sunrise," he gave a cheeky smile to Hitomi, "and to see the pretty girl who volunteered to help me with this temple."

Rei raised her broom like a weapon, using it to steer him away from Hitomi. "That's enough out of you, time to go back to bed." She lead him back inside, ignoring his chuckles and half-hearted protests. Grandpa Hino was on the receiving end of a cold, but even though his condition didn't seem to be too serious Rei still wanted him to rest more than he would. Yuuichirou was working twice as hard as he usually did, since Rei wouldn't let her grandfather do most of his standard head priest duties. Rei would have done it herself, but since she was still a miko and not a priestess, she did not have the spiritual authority to give the blessings and read the rites. Yuuichirou didn't seem to mind in the least. She helped her grandfather with his sandals as she took her own shoes off outside the door.

"I am going to go shopping today with the girls. I will tell Hitomi and Yuiichirou to keep it down so you can rest." She held onto his arm in case he stumbled while she went up the two steps that lead into his room. "I'll get you some tea," Rei offered, supporting her grandfather so he didn't injure himself while he bent down to lay in his futon.

"Don't trouble yourself," he said, giving her a smile filled with gratitude. "I will be asleep before you can boil the water." Rei nodded to him, pulling the covers up to his chin.

"Call Yuuichirou or me if you need anything. Sleep well, grandpa," she whispered, kissing his forehead and heading back out the door.

As soon as she shut the door, he kicked the blanket off, feeling feverish and nauseated. Rushing as fast as his old legs would carry him, he went to the bin in the corner of the room and vomited. Leaning against the wall he stared at the door to make sure Rei hadn't heard, his breathing shallow. Wobbling back to his bed, he laid down, sending up a prayer for rest to bring him the strength to continue hiding his infirmity from Rei, and heal his ailing health.

oOoOoOo

She pulled out her wallet, laying the coins and notes of yen on the counter as she began to count.

The rest of the gang wanted to get together later in the week, which meant that she would need to buy groceries before cooking something to bring over. This wasn't uncommon, it was a ritual for the girl's to meet up at least a few times a month to catch up, and she was always happy to test out a new recipe when they did. She didn't notice the pair of dark green eyes boring into her backside.

She wasn't poor, on the contrary, she had amassed quite a small fortune now that she had been working for a year. But she had been, once, and it was not an experience she wished to ever repeat. Especially now that she had more than just herself to consider.

"These are on sale two for one," advised the cashier, bringing her out of her thoughts and holding up two baby's shirts from her pile of purchases.

"Great!" she gave a weak smile, still anxious about her situation as she reached to snag another one from the rack behind her. After another second she chose to grab a third pair of miniature shoes as well. They sat like totems on top of her stack of baby clothing and toys. She added more yen to her growing pile with a sigh. Someone sneezed from behind her and when she turned to excuse them she recognized the owner with growing trepidation.

"Motoki!" She swallowed past the sudden dryness in her throat. "What are you doing here?" Her apprehension at being discovered before she was ready doubled.

He didn't appear surprised to see her, which brought the butterflies in her stomach up to a frenetic pace. "Well," he hedged, lowering his voice to a conspirator's whisper, "I'm not suppose to tell anyone..." His eyes were twinkling, "...But Unazuki is pregnant," he gave a silly smile. Makoto let herself begin to breathe again. "Who would have thought, my younger sister is going to have a kid before me!" She felt a small wave of relief go through her.

"That's great Motoki!" Makoto gave a knowing smile, Unazuki was probably dying inside trying to keep the news secret. She felt more of her worry fading, Motoki looked too caught up in his excitement for his sister to ask her any insinuating questions.

"Dad's livid," he admitted, shaking his head. "And mom's not much better. They want to give her a shotgun wedding." He laughed at the idea, "They're worried she might elope and they'll miss their chance to see their little girl get married." He grinned, "I think she'll be just fine though, she has been working three jobs for the last year. She's no flight risk."

"Three jobs, woah. That's a lot! So who's the lucky man?" Makoto moved aside so Motoki could pay for his items.

"I don't think you've ever met him. His name is Nobuo, he's going to Tokyo conservatory." Makoto listened as he continued. "I like him, he's got good character, and Unazuki is happier than she's ever been." Makoto smiled at this. Unazuki had always had an energetic personality, imagining her even more upbeat was difficult. Motoki was her older brother though, and he was bound to know the girl better than Makoto did.

Realizing she was blocking the line of customers, she stepped further to the side of the register.

"That's great Motoki, and I promise I won't tell a soul," Motoki grinned, hooking her pinky with his before waving to her as he headed deeper into the mall.

She was going to reveal her surprise to the girls tomorrow, she decided as she picked up her own purchases, tucking them safely into the depths of her oversized purse. She walked out of the store with her mind set. Heading towards the food court she paused to window-shop at a florists stand. The ikebana displays were both lovely and unique, but after a moments indecision she resolved not to spend any more money for the remaining day.

She was caught off guard when she heard someone screaming "MAKO-CHAN" from behind her. Turning she saw a familiar group weaving through the crowd of the mall. Uneasiness resettled in the pit of her stomach. Another chance for her to be exposed before she was ready had arrived, and even as she watched it happen she was still too late to prepare herself when Usagi slammed on the brakes a second too late and gravity sent her crashing forward. With trained reflexes she grabbed at a potted flower before it could shatter on the floor, juggled it in one hand while trying to regain her balance with the other as Usagi picked herself up off the floor. "Sorry!" Usagi gave several embarrassed bows to the vendor even as Makoto put the plant back safe on its stand, shaking her head.

Three more heads appeared behind Usagi, one blue, one blonde and one black. Waving her hellos they all exchanged pleasantries while moving a safe distance away from the stand towards a resting area.

"What are you guys doing here?" Makoto asked, her nervousness back full-force now. Her purchases were buried in the safety of the bottom of her purse, but she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and vulnerability for hiding it from them. Her bag felt three times too heavy.

"Shopping!" crowed Usagi, never one to pass up a chance to state the obvious. Rei looked to be in a sour mood, more so than usual. Ami was buried nose deep in a text, but that was the standard with Ami.

"Duh, she meant shopping for what, Odango," Rei said.

Usagi's mouth formed a round O as she let out another laugh, rubbing the back of her head.

"What ARE we shopping for?" Rei demanded.

"I have a confession to make," Minako said, soaking it in as everyone's focus moved onto herself. "I wasn't entirely honest when I said I just wanted a girls outing to shop and catch up. I need to...get certain items for a certain...meeting I'm having tonight..." She shuffled from one foot to the other as the girls leaned in closer, waiting for her to explain further.

"She has a date," Ami deadpanned without looking up from her book.

"Aww, Ami, way to kill my joy," Minako pouted as three pairs of eyes rounded on her again. "What? I AM the soldier of love and beau-"

Rei clamped her hand over Minako's mouth, hissing in her ear, "Say it a little louder next time! I don't think they heard you in the parking lot." Blushing to her roots, Minako laughed it off, her exuberance at having a date outweighing her concern about revealing an identity that had been untouched for over a year. Rei muttered something that sounded suspiciously like blondes.

"What's he look like!" Usagi demanded, capturing Minako's hands in her own.

"Is he rich and handsome?" Makoto chimed in, coming up beside Usagi.

Rei rolled her eyes, "Good to know you two have your priorities straight." Twin raspberries greeted her in response.

"Why am I here again?" asked Ami, throwing them all a look over the rim of her biochemistry textbook. Her studying habit had grown into a borderline-obsessive disorder as she prepared for her internship at Tokyo General Hospital. The dark half moons under her eyes betrayed how much effort she was pouring into it. She had needed this outing more than any of them, but she would be the last one to concede to that.

"Because they already guilted me into going with them and I was not about to lose my ENTIRE afternoon chasing these two around the mall by myself." Rei said. She huffed and planted her arms akimbo, "I still don't understand why it was so important for me to be here."

Makoto turned wounded eyes onto them, "And you didn't invite me?"

Rei shot her an annoyed look. "We did."

"I called you five times and left three voice messages on your phone," supplied Usagi, cutting in-between the two. "You weren't picking up," she said sheepishly. Someone mumbled something like 'convenient' in a voice that was oddly reminiscent of Rei.

"I dropped my phone in the sink while I was doing dishes," explained the brunette, digging in her purse. Her fingers brushed the bag and she swallowed to whet her parched throat, before bringing out a dead cell phone. She cleared her voice, hoping it sounded normal, "Its been as useful as stale bread ever since." Now interested, Ami eyes fixated on the object as she stepped forward to take a look at Makoto's phone. Makoto handed it over, smiling in thanks. It was comforting to know that when technology was broken, Ami would take it upon herself to fix it. Just as it was also an unspoken fact that every time the girls gathered, it would be at Rei's temple, with Makoto bringing the food, and Minako the entertainment.

"Where are Luna and Artemis, and how did they manage to escape this punishment?" Rei groused, folding her arms over her chest.

Usagi chewed on her lip, unsure. "Luna wasn't there this morning when I woke up. She is probably off doing her own thing...she does that a lot lately." Her eyes were distant and Minako stepped in to cheer her up.

"Well it doesn't matter, since we're all here you guys can help me pick out the perfect dress for tonight's date!" She gave her best megawatt smile, and was pleased when it brought Usagi's smile back as well.

Usagi turned to her, her buns horned, "But in exchange," Usagi's eyes held a devious glint, "You have to tell us everything about your mystery date!"

Laughing they headed to the nearest department store. The group of five made it a point to get together on a monthly basis, but even so it was nice to have last minute outings like this. It gave them all a sense of revitalization to bump into a Makoto during such a random interval. As if the universe wanted to keep their group all together.

Three hours had passed and Minako still had not decided on what to wear, although she had bought four bags of shoes along the way.

"What do you think, the red or the black?" Minako held up both skimpy dresses to herself in the mirror, neither quite reaching her knees. The sequined dress she was currently modeling was even shorter.

Rei pretended to contemplate the decision, then shrugged. "You know he'll only care about what's underneath the outfit anyways." Minako pouted while Makoto let out a snort from her position near another rack before she spoke.

"Not every man's motives are in his pants," It was Rei's turn to let out a bark of laughter.

"Being single is the worst!" Minako whined, pulling the group's attention back to her predicament. She put the black dress back in favor of the red. "He had better be worth it." Minako busied herself primping in the mirror while the others sifted through the racks or watched her. Ami glanced up as Minako modeled another dress that showed more than it hid, still tinkering with Makoto's phone. She shook her head, and then returned to it.

Makoto pulled at the hem of her own shirt, a bit self conscious in this store full of four-sided mirrors. "I still can't believe you agreed to date a complete stranger!" Makoto laughed, "In a bookstore no less! I didn't know you could read," she needled, for which Minako jabbed her in the ribs. "But if he's buying you a free meal, then I guess I can see the appeal." Ever since Makoto had begun working as a pastry chef for a local restaurant she had begun dropping food-related remarks at every opportunity. Usagi and Minako didn't mind in the least, but Rei had already threatened to fry Makoto into burnt bacon bits if she mentioned another dessert item before the day was over.

"A-ha!" came a small noise from behind the group. Everyone turned to see Ami holding up Makoto's phone in triumph. "Repaired," she dropped the phone back into Makoto's purse with nothing more than a satisfied smile before reseating herself in the chair. Makoto thought her heart might stop from fear as she watched Ami's hand approach, and then retreat from, her purse.

She visibly relaxed when Ami went back to her book, unaware of the hidden bag. "Wow Ami, thanks! You're a lifesaver," reaching into her purse, Makoto fished it out again to admire the very functional piece of electronic equipment she now held, making sure to shove her purchases deeper. She licked her dry lips, unsure if she could manage to keep this secret for much longer.

"Oh no!" cried Minako, staring in horror at the clock. All eyes returned to her, but this time she failed to notice. "I only have an hour before I need to be home to meet my date!" As Minako began to hyperventilate, Usagi fanned her with her hands.

"Try on that dress," Rei ordered, "And if it fits you're wearing it tonight." Too anxious to argue, Minako scurried to the dressing rooms.

The girls waited until Minako emerged, in a dress that flattered her body, and matched her bow. It was an off the shoulder cocktail dress, with a sheer layer slanting off the side of its hemline.

Minako wasn't thrilled with it, but knowing she didn't have time to search for another, they all encouraged her to purchase the dress. Minako agreed and rushed through the line to pay as fast as she could. Outside, they said their farewells and all headed their own ways.

Makoto couldn't help feeling a twinge of relief as she left, hidden cargo safe from prying eyes. She watched Minako bolt home to what she knew would be an empty house, with barely enough time to get ready for her date. Silently, she wished her luck.

oOoOoOo

"I want that one," said Hotaru with conviction, circling around what had to be the most expensive car in the store, since it was guarded by red velvet rope on all sides, and perched on a raised glass platform. It was fast approaching Hotaru's 14th birthday, and since they were currently living in British Columbia, it was imminent that she would obtain her learner's permit.

"She's acquired my fine taste in automobiles," Haruka remarked with pride, drawing an amused look from Michiru. "But firefly, to get that car we'll have to cash out your college fund early." Hotaru made a sour face, still focused on the SLR.

"What about that one?" Michiru offered, pointing to a purple convertible akin to Haruka's own red one.

"NoOOoo, Michiru-mama it has to be black!" Hotaru said, putting her hands on her hips, looking every bit the rebellious teen she was.

"I thought your favorite color was violet," Michiru murmured, disappointed that her suggestion had been undercut so quickly.

Hotaru gave the convertible a second cursory glance, "It is, but I need a sexy black car to attract boys." Both of her foster parents stared at her in shock, which for Haruka quickly turned into protective fury while Michiru stifled laughter.

"What boys..." Haruka growled, advancing on Hotaru.

"Oh, you know...boys," Hotaru answered, her eyes playful.

"And here I thought our influence would lead her towards an alternative lifestyle," Michiru joked, wrapping her arms around Haruka's waist as both a method of restraint and affection. Hotaru was oblivious to the former, and she giggled at Haruka, who lost her fight at the sound.

"She's growing up so fast..." Haruka said, her voice taking on the tone of a lonesome puppy while she watched Hotaru continue to inspect the black sports car from afar.

"Too fast." The words came from a new presence behind them. Turning they saw a tall woman with long black hair tied in a knot at the top of her head. Piercing garnet eyes watched Hotaru from where she stood a few feet behind them. She wore a trendy tailored suit, with a thick jacket to ward off the chill of Canadian weather.

"Setsuna!" Michiru greeted, enfolding the woman in a delicate hug before releasing her. Haruka tipped her chin in acknowledgement.

"What's the occasion?" Haruka asked, always on edge by the unexpected arrivals of Setsuna.

Ancient eyes penetrated Haruka, who gave no outward indication that she was unnerved. "There is a new evil in Tokyo," Setsuna said, and when she didn't say anything further Michiru spoke up again.

"The mirror hasn't foretold any intruders from outside our system," she tucked a strand of her turquoise hair behind her ear, closing her eyes as she listened. "And the waves have been calm."

"This danger has yet to reveal itself." Setsuna watched as Hotaru came over to observe the conversation in silence. "But it is not an extraterrestrial." Its much worse, she added to herself.

"Then it's not our problem," Haruka dismissed, shrugging Setsuna off. "You know we are only meant to guard against extraterrestrial threats. The rest is the inners concern."

"The inners cannot handle this alone," Setsuna warned.

Hotaru came up beside them, tugging on Michiru's jacket. "What about Usagi-chan?"

Coming back to herself at the addition of Hotaru into their discussion, Michiru put a hand on Haruka's arm to stop her from responding. "This isn't the place, or time for this." she said. The others silently agreed. "Meet us tonight, Setsuna. Do you need directions to our place?" Setsuna gave her a tired but mischievous smirk. "I didn't think so," Michiru returned the smile.

"Faites attention," Setsuna said, vanishing into thin air. Haruka immediately scanned the store for cameras or onlookers.

Michiru raised her eyebrows, "I didn't know she was fluent in French. I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"I swear one day she is going to blow our cover," Haruka complained, relieved when she didn't see anything to indicate anyone had noticed the time guardian's entrance or exit.

"Or turn you into a paranoid," Michiru teased, draping an arm around Haruka's. Haruka grunted, twining her fingers with Michiru's nevertheless. "Come on, the sooner we go the sooner we can finish this."

Hotaru didn't speak, but a chill ran through her at Michiru's words. She moved closer to her foster parents, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the feeling of dread now overwhelming her.

oOoOoOo

She'd been wrong, there were far worse things than being single. Like being trapped in a date with someone you can't stand.

It was twenty minutes into her fancy date and Minako was ready to wrap her love-me chain around his neck. For the first five minutes she had almost deceived herself into believing that Seiji had potential as a mate. That was just before he began to list the faults of his previous girlfriend. He was somewhat attractive, had a degree from Tokyo University and had to be wealthy if he could afford to take her to a nice restaurant like this one. It was a real shame he was still hung up on someone else. He hadn't complimented her dress or new shoes once, and she felt ridiculous for having gone to the effort to do up her long hair. She'd already tried, and failed, to change the topic twice.

His list hadn't slowed yet as she tuned back in to the one-sided conversation.

"-and she left my poor cat out in the rain all night! And after THAT, she has the nerve to tell me its my fault for not installing the pet door like she told me to! I just can't believe anyone could be so self-absorbed," Minako choked slightly on her drink, "that they would leave a poor defenseless creature like Lil'Bandit to fend for itself against the nocturnal predators." The food she'd been served thus far was delicious, but it wasn't worth this. While he sucked in enough air to start in again Minako cut him off.

"Oh my! I think I left my own cat outside!" Jumping up from the table she raised her hands to cover her mouth for extra emphasis. She had confidence that her acting was convincing, but her story was weak and she knew it. Turning she grabbed her purse and shawl before he could utter another word. "What kind of person would I be if I left Artemis out and he ran away? I'm so sorry but we'll have to finish this date another time!" Spinning on her heel she sprinted for the door.

Since they had driven here in his luxury sports car, she wasn't about to give him the opportunity to offer her a ride home, complete with another twenty minutes of his tirade. Making it to safety outside, she slowed down, heading to the nearest alley. Ducking in she transformed behind a dumpster, leaping to the roof of the posh restaurant in a single lunge. Below her she could hear a distinctive masculine voice calling her name as she ran away.

She berated herself along the way for her stupidity. It was important to search for love, but she might have had better luck dating Artemis. She'd been desperate to find love and rushed into scheduling this expensive date with a stranger, and it was a bitter pill to swallow considering Ace's prediction that she was cursed to never have true love. Sailor Venus shivered as she landed on the roof of the department store two blocks from her house, detransforming. She had been so focused on proving him wrong that she'd sacrificed judgment for an ego-boost. Using the fire escape she made her way to the bottom, heading home. Minako hummed a pop song to herself while she walked there. Even if she never could find her own Prince Charming, she was determined to become a superstar. Complete with a large male fan base, of course.

When she had arrived home, her mother hadn't remembered about the date, for which Minako was glad. However, she had a few rude words to share about Minako's slinky dress, and another argument had ensued. It was inevitable that her mother would ferret out any new information about a boy, and Minako knew it, so she skipped the usual theatrics and reminded her mother that she had been on a date. Appalled at how late she had returned, her mother had exploded into a new round of screaming. Now banished to her room, Minako turned to her only remaining outlet.

Artemis was only half-awake when she burst in, and her immediate dive into the details of her evening didn't do anything to grab his interest. When she had snatched him by the collar and begun to vigorously rub his coat, he had managed to listen to her ranting for several minutes before sinking back towards sleep. It was taking most of his focus not to interrupt her with purring. He was saved from having to provide advice to Minako by her mother, who had made a peace offering while Minako vented her frustrations.

"Fresh cookies!" Minako jumped up, scrambling down the stairs and barreling into the kitchen. Her mother was still removing the tray from the oven and shifted it out of reach as Minako grabbed at it. "You'll burn yourself!" she warned, setting it onto the stove top and moving to the other side of the kitchen to return the oven mitts to their drawer. Leaning down she pecked her husband on the cheek, "Have a good day at work?" Minako hadn't heard her father arrive home. He put the newspaper down and took off his jacket with a heavy sigh.

"Long. Did you two get anything done without me?" He gave them a measuring glance. Minako turned to ask her mother how long she needed to wait on the cookies and noticed her mother was holding her head.

"Are you all right?" She went around the table, cookies at the back of her mind. She wasn't close to her parents by any stretch, but if her mother was unwell she knew she'd be the one filling in any unfinished household chores. Her mother waved it off, brows pinched. Minako's father waited for her response, eyes intent on his wife.

"I just have the worst headache," she sighed as she gave her husband a pointed look when he made a noise of disbelief, grabbing a nearby spatula and lifting up the cookies from the tray. "I'm sure it will be gone once I rest though."

Nodding, Minako stuffed a cookie into her mouth, opening it like a fish when it burned her tongue. "H-h-hoo-hooot!" She fanned her face as she tried to cool down her flushed skin, her skirt bouncing as she hopped from one heeled foot to the other around the room.

"You know better than that, Minako," her father admonished her, his tone flat. She glowered at him, swallowing the cookie even as it burned her throat, flipping her hair and sticking her nose up into the air. "Its bad enough you show yourself off like that in public, I will not suffer your poor manners here as well." He gave her a disapproving frown. "Go change, I don't want to see you in something like that ever again." He turned to his wife as Minako headed upstairs again, her eyes misting as she heard the beginnings of a fight stirring below. "Stop rewarding her for being such an ill-bred heathen. She comes home at odd hours dressed like a harlot and you reward her with baked goods," he spat.

"Its your fault she dresses that way, she only does it because of what a poor role model her father is for-" Minako ran up the last few steps, slamming her door and leaning back up against it. She didn't want to hear the rest.

"They can't even talk to each other anymore," Minako said, wiping the backs of her palms against her eyes before she could start crying. Artemis, now awake, watched her in silence as she took a deep breath and walked over to her vanity. Sitting down she untied her bow, brushing her hair in an effort to improve her mood. She couldn't shake the image of herself falling into a similar position as her mother though, caught in a loveless marriage by an unwanted pregnancy. She closed her eyes against the pain she saw reflected in them. The fact she was the root of tonight's fight was old news, she always had been.

Walking to the closet she tossed a towel at Artemis to cover his eyes. Unzipping the expensive dress she let it slip to the floor, uncaring. Stepping over it she reached for her pajamas, pulling them on before Artemis could poke his head out from under the cloth. Curling up in bed she pulled the covers up to her chin, folding the pillow over her head to try in vain to drown out the yelling that leeched through the cracks in her door.

Artemis sighed from his place at the foot of her bed. "They only fight because they care about you," he mumbled, watching as Minako went to sleep. With a sigh, he curled back into a ball, following her lead.

She only slept for two hours before the loud beeping began.

oOoOoOo

Usagi was strolling though Juban park after spending some time with Rei when she heard the first screams. For a fleeting second she brushed it off as her imagination. It was probably some kids pranking one another. That was before another round of panicked cries reached her.

Reaching down she touched her watch, activating the all call."There is a potential enemy in Juban park by the lake," Usagi didn't wait to see who had responded before she clicked off her communicator. Hurrying around the corner she saw the source of the frenzy.

The monster was invisible. At least, that was Usagi's first thought. Then she saw the litter begin to move. The creature must have been absorbing its surroundings she gathered, since there were pieces of trash and grass poking out of it at odd angles. The way they were twisting and rolling led her to believe it was wheel-shaped, or made of jello. It had four dark indents that she assumed functioned as its eyes or mouths, but no other distinguishable features. The most disturbing thing about it though, was its lack of coloration. Similar to a chameleon, it camouflaged itself with its surroundings, but whatever energy was inside it made a vein network of red and black appear across its globular body, its edges barely visible.

Jumping into the branches of a nearby tree, Usagi winced as she scraped her hand on the bark. It was more difficult to do acrobatic leaps when was plain Usagi. Ignoring the blood, she waved her hand over her broach, calling out her transformation phrase. She reemerged from the tree as Eternal Sailor Moon.

For a moment she observed the creature. It behaved as though it were just another patron to the park, albeit unusual, strolling down the path. Then Sailor Moon noticed a man clutching his shoulder behind it, and a child beside him with third degree burns on her legs, howling in pain. Even as she watched, the indents began to glow and shoot out more projectiles towards the people running from it.

Without wasting time with introductions, Sailor Moon launched herself towards it. "Moon Tiara Action!" Her surprise attack was a direct hit, and it cleaved off the uppermost portion of the monster, which fell in a chunk beside it. However, the substance the creature was made from didn't seem to bleed or sever, its undulating body reformed the missing chunk as if it had never been attacked.

"What the..." Moon inserted herself between the monster and the civilians, pulling forth her eternal rod. It was difficult to see the creature in the moon and starlight, but she managed to deflect its attacks with her scepter before they could hit any of the defenseless people behind her.

Off to her right, Mercury arrived, firing her Aqua Rhapsody at the advancing mass. It didn't have any effect on the creature, which continued moving forward towards them, pits now glowing red.

"Go left!" Mercury cried as she dove further to the right.

Sailor Moon obeyed on automatic, throwing herself as far left as she could as a blast of something rushed past her. Landing in a roll she moved back into a battle stance. Mercury was yelling a warning to the pedestrians to flee the area. There weren't too many people out and about, it was late. She saw the man scoop up his child and flee. Mercury took up a stance behind Eternal Sailor moon, pulling her compact computer forth from the ether.

"Its attacks are laser-heated steam!" called Sailor Mercury from her safe distance a few yards away while she tried to gather data on the enemy as fast as possible. Sailor Moon held her staff up to block one such blast, the force of it rattling her teeth and singeing her knuckles. "Wide-range area attacks will be completely ineffective unless we find a way to solidify it." Sailor Moon could see that Sailor Jupiter and Venus had arrived from the corner of her vision, and were now attempting to flank the creature.

Jupiter fired off an Oak Evolution attack, which caused the blob to falter before lumbering forward again. The monster gave no sign it had felt Venus' Love and Beauty shock pummel into its side, however.

"We need to surround it, divide its attention and then go for an all out assault!" called Venus, steeling herself and returning to her command as their leader. The others nodded as they took up positions surrounding the monster.

Mercury was still typing with fervor into her compact, but as soon as she summoned her magic, the others also began theirs.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

Somewhere not too far away another cry rang out. "Mars Flame Sniper!"

For a terrifying second Sailor Moon thought their combined powers hadn't had any effect. It let out a keening noise, seeming to quiver in place. Then the creature began to contract on itself, wrinkling and diminishing before bursting from the inside out like a balloon. Everyone present held their arms up to shield their faces from the goop, but it disintegrated in midair before ever reaching them.

"Aha!" cheered Venus. "My plan worked!"

After a pause, Sailor Moon whooped, jumping into the air at their success. She shot Mars a devil's smirk, "Looks like I wasn't the one late this time."

"Grandpa needed my help after you left," she bristled, going over to where Mercury stood inspecting the spot the creature had previously stood. She was still typing away on her computer, trying to analyze any remains from the small crater.

"Yeah well I'm making everyone victory cookies!" Jupiter called, pumping her fist into the air. Caught off guard by the memory of her parent's fight, Venus stood still, lost in thought.

"Venus, look out!" Mercury shouted. Too late the others turned to see a white blur pounce on a piece of the creature that had broken off earlier from Sailor Moon's tiara strike. It had fully regenerated itself, two of its four eyes glowing red, ready to attack. Artemis took the brunt of the blast, but not before digging his claws into one of the creature's glowing eyes. It let out a gurgle as black blasphemy spewed down its body, Artemis landed with a thud and lay unmoving a few feet away, a red bald spot on his side where his fur had been only a moment before.

"ARTEMIS!" Venus screamed, rushing forward to scoop him up and cradle him in her arms. He remained limp as she ran to a bench and planted him a safe distance from further harm. Meanwhile Mars had launched a sniper arrow into the creature's other glowing eye, and another waterfall of thick black fluid spilled down its front.

It shot another barrage of steam at Jupiter who had been trying to sneak up behind it while Mercury determined its weaknesses with her computer and visor. She dodged the onslaught of vaporized water, but slipped on the dark excretions puddling around it and fell over, vulnerable. Sailor Mars, Moon and Venus were all too far away to distract it in time and Sailor Mercury was fully focused on her computer. Unfortunately for Sailor Jupiter, the monster noticed this too and fired a blast directly at her.

A red rose cleaved it in half, protecting Jupiter from harm while she tried to regain her footing in the black sludge. The divided burst crashed into nearby trees, scorching their exposed bark and leaves. A caped man jumped from the tree, landing beside Sailor Mercury.

"Are you hurt?" Sailor Moon rushed forward, helping Jupiter to stand. Sailor Mars and Venus were both barraging the creature with their respective planetary magic, even though neither seemed to be making more than a dent and looked to be running low on energy.

"No, I'm fine." Jupiter smiled, "You're going to have to wash your hands if you want to eat any of my cookie dough though."

Sailor Moon nodded, wiping the black fluid off her hands onto her skirt before heading back to the corner position she had previously occupied. Jupiter didn't bother trying to clean herself up, she was covered in the muck. Mercury moved to fill the final vacancy of the circle now surrounding the second blob.

"Ready!" Eternal Sailor Moon called, raising her scepter into the air to signal the others. Tuxedo Kamen moved up beside her, a handful of razor roses between his fingers.

"On my count!" cried Venus, who was gritting her teeth from the strain of trying to keep the creature contained within her chain of light. "One...two...Three!" Releasing her grip on the chain she summoned a stronger incantation, "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

Simultaneously, the others launched their strongest attacks as well. Pelted with energy of all the varying elements from different sides, the creature seemed to shrink in on itself for a moment before it exploded outwards like its predecessor.

Eternal Sailor Moon let out a sigh of relief, making her trademark pose. "We've still got it!" Tuxedo Kamen gave her a smile as encouragement.

Sailor Mars fought the urge to roll her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. "Is that the last of them?" she turned to Mercury, who hesitated a moment before responding.

"There are no more abnormal energy sources in this area, except us of course." Everyone relaxed at her words.

"Is Artemis..." began Jupiter, de-transforming and going towards the bench were Venus had deposited him. She didn't dare to finish the question.

"He was breathing," reassured Venus, also releasing her transformation. No one was quite sure whether she was reassuring Makoto or herself. She rushed over to the bench while the others followed behind her. "Artemis?" she called, not brave enough to reach out and touch the wounded cat.

"He's alive," Mercury accessed, tucking her compact away and turning back into Ami. "He's sustained a mild concussion from the impact. Nothing's broken and his vitals are steady, although that burn is going to leave a mark. He should wake up in a few hours, but the hair might take a while to come back in." Minako shook her head in agreement, scooping up the cat in her arms and holding him close.

"Stupid hero," she chastised him, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "We're supposed to be the superheroes, not you."

"If Artemis is here," Usagi said, looking around the park. "Where's Luna?" There was a murmur amongst the group as everyone confirmed that they had not seen Luna in a few days. Usagi chewed on her lip with worry, and Mamoru wrapped an arm around her shoulder which seemed to quell some of her distress. "I'll go to central control, see if she's there," Usagi said at last.

Ami shook her head, "I will check central control for Luna. I need to run the information I gathered through the database there anyway, to see if I can figure out where these amoeboid monsters came from."

"What were those things?" Rei voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.

"No doubt its a new enemy," said Makoto. "Did your scans pick up anything definitive?" Ami shook her head no.

"Senshi meeting tomorrow at noon," Minako declared, her voice was quiet but it brooked no argument.

Everyone nodded, waving their goodbyes as they headed back home, Minako with a wounded cat in her arms. Their fatigue was a thing alive though, given how out of shape they all were from not accessing their powers for so long.

It wasn't until after everyone else was gone that Makoto realized she still hadn't told them she was pregnant.

oOoOoOo

When Hotaru entered the den that evening, Setsuna was already seated with Michiru, a cup of green tea in her hands. The den was large, and private, with windows on all sides, nothing but forest surrounding them for miles. The furniture was modern, but an antique chandelier hung above the main foyer, making both women's hair sparkle.

Dropping herself halfway over a leather chaise, Haruka asked "To what do we owe the pleasure." Her tone implied it was more of a gripe than a question.

"There is a new evil threatening Tokyo," Setsuna repeated as she set her tea down on the coffee table, turning towards Haruka. "Can you not hear it in the wind yet?"

Tipping her head up as if listening to a song, the sandy blonde fastened grey eyes on Setsuna again. "Its there, but its faint."

"Perhaps because we're halfway around the world?" Michiru teased.

"Or maybe because the threat it so small it is not necessary for us to involve ourselves."

"'Ruka," Michiru reprimanded, her tone light "Do my ears deceive me or are you running away from a fight?"

"Should I feel insulted?" Haruka smirked.

"Only if you are." Michiru's eyes were set. "The ocean is growing wild," she reached out a hand to touch Haruka's. "we are needed elsewhere."

"It is not our job," Haruka said. "This is not an external threat, and last time I checked that was our one, and only, department."

Michiru's eyes softened, "We knew this time might come, that we might have to give up on this new life and return to the one we left behind."

"Its bull," Haruka began to rage like a child being denied her favorite candy. "Why should we pick up the slack because those kids can't handle their own problems? We came all this way for a reason," her eyes glinted in the overhead glow, and Michiru gave a sympathetic smile but her eyes remained determined. A look passed between them that the other two did not catch, before Haruka continued her rant. "And now we have to go back because they're too," her lips curved down into a sneer, "pathetic to even protect Tokyo against its own threats? I've heard enough," she finished.

Setsuna cleared her throat, "Are you through?" Haruka shot her a murderous glare. "The princess needs us an-"

A tiny voice broke through, "The princess needs us?" Hotaru stepped out from where she had hung back behind Haruka's chair, her worry evident upon her face.

Setsuna gave her a knowing smile, "They all need us, and whether or not Haruka wants to admit it, she needs them." Setsuna ignored the growing contempt on Haruka's face.

"Haruka-san," Michiru's drop of her endearing pet name was enough to get Haruka's full attention, but her next words banked the maelstrom ready to explode within her, "I will go without you if I have to," she drew a steadying breath, "and I will take Hotaru with me."

All the fight drained out of Haruka at the words. A desperate plea still escaped, "Mich, we could hav-"

"We tried that," Michiru cut her off. "We have already failed to protect her, but that does not mean we need also fail to protect Usagi." She lifted her hand from its resting place on Haruka's own. "Will you come with us?"

Haruka looked pained, and Setsuna intervened.

"It is time for the Outer Senshi to return to Tokyo," she said, no room for argument in her voice, her eyes closed as she sipped her drink. She let garnet eyes scan over the group, "Regardless of whether or not you wish to help the Inner Senshi, you must return."

Michiru stood, holding out her hand towards Haruka. An eternity passed between them before Haruka took her hand, standing as well. Her decision had been made, she just hoped it was the right one. Hotaru moved forward, "I'm going too!"

"We are all going," Setsuna said. Rising with poise from her seat, she put the teacup back on the table. She gave an amused smile, "Your helicopter or mine?"

"How do I get pulled into these things?" Haruka complained sourly to Michiru.

"Look at it this way," Michiru said, "Now we can wait another three years before sinking our retirement into her new car." Hotaru let out a noise of indignation as they headed to their helicopter landing pad.

oOoOoOo

He woke from a nightmare, covered in sweat. It was nearing 2 a.m., and the shrine was eerily silent. With heavy breaths he attempted to clear his mind of all negative thoughts as sensei had instructed him.

As he pushed the blankets off his torso he winced in pain, yanking his hands back towards his chest, where he stared down at them in confusion. He squinted in the darkness, barely about to make out the outline of his hands. Careful not to injure himself further, he rose from bed, heading towards the sacred prayer room.

Kneeling outside the door, he peered down at his hands in the firelight. Under the amber glow they appeared redder, raw even. The skin was swollen and peeling at points, weathered and torn. Letting out a tired breath he stood and went further down the hall. He submerged his hands in the cleansing basin of water that rested at the entrance to the prayer room and began rinsing them.

Yuuichirou sighed, consoling himself about the necessity of the extra chores he had asked for from Grandpa Hino. It would all be worth it. He slipped back towards his room, laying down on the futon. Gazing out into the darkness, he pulled the covers up again, reaching under his pillow to trace the rim of the small velvet box resting there. Soon, he'd have enough funding to purchase the ring that went inside it.

Finding himself unable to sleep, he stood and headed out.

Rei awoke before the dawn as well. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she rose and headed into the center of the shrine. She opened the door to the room housing the sacred fire, closing her eyes as the warmth soaked into her skin. At peace again, she stepped into the room to kneel before the bonfire, again begging it for a sign. She blocked out her surroundings, focusing on the fire crackling before her, warm and treacherous.

The first impression she got was one of grief and loss, and it was so overpowering she was almost thrown from her meditation. But as the fire popped the feeling vanished, replaced by something cold. It slithered down her throat and despite the heat of the room she began to tremble. Slinking through her veins the cold consumed her entire being, replacing the loss with panic and fear. She could feel her hand burning. Rei clung to the vision even as her self-preservation warned her to leave the trance. There was a flash of white, then black, before darkness swam again in front of her, trying to force her back to her body. She fought against her element, forcing it to her will, needing to see the rest. When she did she regretted it. The last glimpse she saw, framed in thick ebony tresses were two cruel violet eyes cutting into her soul.

As sudden as it came, it left and she found herself back in her own body. She found herself crying, her hair sticky with sweat and body still quivering. She looked down to see an ofudu clutched in her palm, its calligraphy bleeding down the paper. Looking back up at the fire, it had relaxed as if it had revealed nothing to her. Taking a shuddering breath, she wrapped her arms around herself, convinced beyond reason that something terrible was coming.

And that she would be aiding it.

She felt a chill go through her as she stood, casting the ofudu slip into the flames. The fire accepted her offering with greedy fingers, devouring the paper. At least the fire was responding to her again, its silence had been deafening.

Collecting herself, she left to go make an early breakfast, before a voice down the hall distracted her.

Grandpa Hino emptied the bin in his room, his weathered hands carrying it to the compost. His dreams were tormented, and his connection to the spiritual world seemed to be stronger every day. However, his connection to the physical world was growing as feeble as he was. Stubborn as always, he pushed those thoughts aside, moving to clean the rest of the temple while everyone was still asleep. He was still feverish, but his nausea had passed with the contents of his stomach. His old body ached, his skin rough against the sheets and broom, but he was resolved to finish the task he had set for himself. With practiced hands he made his bed and cleared the floor.

After finishing with his own room, he moved on to Yuuichirou's. Yuiichirou was not there, apparently out on another of his nocturnal rendezvous. Replacing the sheets, he swept the floor, pausing when he saw his deceased wife and daughter standing in front of him. They could have been twins if not for the age difference. "You're pushing yourself too hard, papa." Risa said, her eyes soft. He stared at them with longing, before shaking it off.

"You're not here anymore," he whispered, "I'm hallucinating again." He sighed, looking back up to them. "I wish you were though." His voice was choked with emotion, "I miss you both so."

His wife gave him a tragic smile, "Not for much longer, love." Risa moved forward to sit on Yuuichirou's bed while her mother remained in the doorway of the room. His daughter seemed to be playing with something she'd found under the pillow. He wondered if it were real or just an imagined detail of this particular illusion. Moving over to her, he peered to see what she was holding. She gave him her sly smile, holding up a small jewelry box for him to see. He felt warmth brim throughout him, cued in to Yuuichirou's intentions.

"I always knew he had a good heart."

"Grandpa? Are you all right?" Came a voice from down the hall. Rei appeared beside her grandmother, and he gave a bittersweet smile at the sight of them both side by side. How many times had he wished that they could have met in this life and not the next?

"I was just speaking with the Kami," he reassured. His words made Rei step further into the room, passing through the holograph of his wife. She was still so beautiful, even if she was nothing more than a hallucination. Risa looked happy to see her daughter, although it seemed strange to him that Rei's mother appeared to be younger than Rei herself even if they both had the same pale skin, striking violet eyes and midnight hair. He shook his head, trying to clear his muddled thoughts. It really was growing more difficult to tell reality from the other side every day.

"You should be resting," Rei said, reaching to help him back to his room. He knew he didn't have much time left, but he refused to cause his granddaughter more pain than necessary.

"Rei," he took her hand, tugging to get her focus. "I know you harbor something inside you that weighs heavy on your soul. You don't share it with me, and I would not ask you to. I respect your decision." He gave her a world-weary but happy smile. "I want you to know that whatever it is, I forgive you, and I love you very much." He smiled at her shocked expression.

"Grandpa," she whispered, her throat clogged with tears. She wanted to tell him the truth, more than she ever had in all her years of defending Tokyo as Sailor Mars. Her sixth sense was urging her that this was the moment, and it was now or never. She led him to his own bed, helping him sit before sitting down beside him. He seemed to be moving with increased lethargy, and it just made the urgency of the feeling increase.

She took even breaths, holding both his hands in hers as she summoned the courage to expose her biggest secret. His skin was chapped beneath her fingers, and in the darkness the shadows of old age were twice as prominent on his face. "I know I am not the easiest granddaughter," he let out a quiet snort, not unlike her own, "But you have always taken care of me, and I am eternally grateful for everything you have given me. I will never forget your lessons, even if I live to be a hundred." Steeling herself, she continued "I am Sailor Mars," and without pause "and I love you, too." She had already been abandoned by her father and left without a mother, and if he did not accept her, all of her, she knew she would never recover from the blow.

He nodded, refusing to show his shock to her when she was so vulnerable. Even with his poor vision he could feel the anguish over potential rejection and see the line of salty misery stuck to her eyelashes. She must have hidden this from him for years, and it took him a second to come to grips with the fact that his little miko was all grown up. He patted her hands, "I'm proud of you," he said after a breath's hesitation. Rei's tears spilled over, and she hugged him to her with more force than he could bear. He did not complain, but hugged her back with as much strength as he could muster. After releasing her he continued, "I always knew you were special, since that first day you came to this shrine. I just didn't know how special. One day you will show the world your true strength," he gave her a wise smile, "if you haven't already."

Risa and her mother had followed them into his room, and they both stood smiling at the scene from the doorway. He chose not tell Rei of their presence, in case she forced him into a hospital where he would only live out his last few days in sterilized agony. The Hikawa Jinja was his home, and he was determined to be here in his own bed. Feeling something warm on his upper lip he wiped the blood away, sniffing to try and dry up his nosebleed. Rei was busy recounting her many adventures to him and didn't notice, and he was glad. He didn't want her to. This night would be one she remembered until she was well past his ripe old age, and he refused to taint it by letting her discover his prolonged illness. He listened to her tales until the sun was up, fighting off his exacerbated fatigue to see the joy that had entered Rei's eyes.

oOoOoOo

It was growing dimmer by the second, and she knew that soon her sight would be swallowed up by sheer darkness. She could still make out the scene in front of her, and she watched it progress in confused fascination.

She saw herself fall through the air, spinning in slow circles. Her hair spun with her, twisting in a double helix that surrounding her body. Her clothes were wrong, but she couldn't figure out just how they were wrong. It frustrated her since she could feel it in her bones that it was paramount they should be right. Something cold was holding her back from approaching the scene for closer inspection as it grew darker. Her last vision was of the rainbow of her friends decorating the space around her.

Darkness licked up the last of the light, and she was left alone in the nothingness. Scared, she stepped forward, and found that whatever had been restraining her before had released its grip. She moved through the world, calling out for someone, anyone. Only silence responded, and for a horrifying second she thought she would be lost within this place forever. She curled up, trying to preserve her body heat as the surroundings leeched it from her.

The world reappeared then, screened by a window of undulating black mesh. When she saw the scene return, she wished it hadn't. Tuxedo Kamen was lying on the ground in front of her, red agony pooling around him. Her heart stopped beating as she stared at his prone form. It returned to its rhythm when she saw the rest of her surroundings. She screamed as Sailor Venus attacked her, constricting her within the circle of her chain. The other senshi were gathered around her, in their battle stances, their faces set with grim determination. Sailor Mars was aiming a flaming arrow straight at her. She was asking Mercury something before she turned back to face Usagi, and released her arrow. She watched it in slow motion, the fire licking up the oxygen-saturated air and swelling to balloon around the arrow, its tip glowing white hot.

Desperate to escape, she tried to break Venus' grip on the love-me chain, but she knew by the clenching of Venus' knuckles she would never get free in time. The links of the chain bit into her flesh, the arrow was so close now its heat was burning her skin.

Gasping she sat bolt upright in bed, breathing heavy. She searched around her room for the danger, blinking away the sleep as she realized that she'd been dreaming. It took her a minute to convince herself that the senshi would not leap out and attack her at any moment. She curled back up in her bed, holding a stuffed bunny to her chest. It had just been a nightmare, a horrible nightmare.

The missing warmth of Luna at her feet was the last thing on her mind as she tried to forget the haunting images of her guardians attacking her and fall back asleep. And like most dreams, when she awoke hours later to the morning's light peeking through her curtains, all memory of the dream was gone. However, Usagi couldn't shake the feeling of disquiet that followed her through the day.

AN: A huge thank you to Neonlights for beta-reading this chapter. Nobuo is a reference to Nobuo Uematsu, an amazing composer(although he did not attend a conservatory, but a university). This story is a rewritten version of a fanfic I finished for nanowrimo, I will be removing the older story in a week.


	2. Death

Rei turned off the whistling kettle, pouring it into dainty teacups. A gentle rapping came at the door, before Ami stepped inside. Her hair was askew, her eyes red, and Rei could tell she'd been skipping meals...and maybe showers as well. Her crystalline aura was like a rain cloud clinging to her thin frame, but Rei didn't comment on the trouble she saw reflected in Ami's spirit.

Rei just smiled, "You're early." She proffered a cup of water towards Ami. Ami took the cup, reaching for a bag of Earl Grey before sitting down at the table, where she unloaded a small library of books onto the table.

"Thanks," Ami opened the top book, flipping to a bookmarked page. She opened her mouth as if she were about to speak, but then closed it again.

Rei turned back to the tea, preparing it according to her other friends' preferences. Her lips pressed together as she dropped Usagi's teabag in, adding a conservative one square of sugar. With a defeated smile she added another two, before placing the cups around the table in the unofficial seating arrangement of the senshi.

Rei sat down with her own tea, taking tiny sips while she watched Ami read across the table. It wasn't doing anything to clear her mind of its turmoil, so thinking the better of it, she stood to leave. She stopped just outside the door, leaning back in to speak to Ami who was still content reading her books. "Let the others in if they get here before I'm back." Walking down the hallway, she inched her grandfather's door open, peeking in and closing it again after seeing him rolled up on his side, asleep.

Moving farther out, she stepped outside, welcoming the fresh breeze. She had been up very late with her grandfather last night after revealing her secret identity, and the crisp air woke her tired mind up a bit. She was not the only one enjoying nature this morning.

She saw a ponytailed brunette leaning against a cherry blossom tree, watching her. "Has the fire shown you anything?" asked Makoto, trying to read Rei's answer from her impassive face.

The fire miko made a decision with herself then, shaking her head. "Only whispers, nothing concrete." If another meeting was held, she'd let them know about the full vision. There was no point to worrying them unless more enemies appeared, or the vision repeated itself. But hopefully this new enemy had already been defeated at the battle last night.

"How late were you up trying to get a reading?" Rei gave an elegant shrug, stepping past Makoto. She'd never been especially close to Makoto, and right now she didn't feel the need to tell Makoto that she'd stayed up all night with her grandfather, and told him her identity as Sailor Mars. That was a decision she'd made with the Kami, and she wasn't about to justify herself outside her own home before the meeting even started.

Rei paused to look back at her longtime comrade, taking a second glance her aura. Comprehension dawned on her face, "How long will you wait to tell the others?" she asked, a hint of excitement in her eyes.

Makoto stared at her wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "H-how did you know?" She lowered her head, abashed. "I meant to tell everyone yesterday." Nodding, Rei continued towards the temple entrance with the taller girl. "I brought cookies," she finished lamely, falling into step behind Rei.

"Then we better hurry before Usagi-chan and Minako-chan get here."

Entering the front room, they saw that Mamoru had snuck past them while they talked, and he sat peering over Ami's shoulder at the organic chemistry text she was reading. With an exasperated glance to the clock, Rei sat down to take a cookie from the platter Makoto had arranged. "Where are they?" she grumbled, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at the door. As if on cue, the sound of panting and laughter filtered through the screen.

"Aahh!" a female voice said, huffing desperately for air. "I know we're late!" she yelled, before collapsing at the top of the steps in a pile of limbs and blonde hair. Behind her another twin whirlwind rushed up the stairs.

"Still have..."panting as she looked at her watch Minako paused, "ten minutes ago." Minako helped Usagi to her feet again, "She's going to kill us."

"Or torture us," Usagi agreed, dragging her heels as they approached the temple.

"Or torture and kill you!" Rei stood before them, brandishing her broom. No one wondered when or where she'd grabbed it from.

Before Rei could damage either of them Makoto waved them towards the safety from the door, "I made cookies!" Both blondes edged around the fuming miko before rushing inside.

Usagi plopped down at the table, grabbing two fistfuls of cookies before shoveling them into her cheeks. Minako wasn't far behind her. Ami watched the competition for who could cram more food into their mouths with morbid curiosity.

Rei followed after them, still huffing. "I don't know why you two can never be on time." Sighing she sat down beside Usagi, taking a calming sip of tea.

"How is Artemis?"

All eyes turned towards Minako. "He's awake," she responded, guilt on her face, "He wanted me to bring him here today but he's still too weak to move around much. I promised him I'd let him hear the meeting though." She reached over and unclipped Makoto's communicator, clicking the orange Venus symbol.

"Can you hear us Artemis?" she said, propping the communicator up on the edge of the table. On the other end of the inch wide screen there was an image of a bandaged white cat.

"Yes," he said, too comfortable on his throne of pillows to move closer for better sound quality.

"Luna wasn't at central control," Ami said, patting Usagi's hand, "But don't worry, I wouldn't be surprised if she is just scouting out this new enemy." Her words were meant to be comforting but Usagi didn't look at all sad over the fact her cat had yet to come home. She was already reaching for another cookie, leaving Ami's hand on the table alone.

"Its okay. She'd just nag me anyways." Usagi shrugged, popping the cookie into her mouth.

"Well then, let's begin."

Ami leaned forward, "I didn't get a sample of the material the youma is composed of, but it seems as if they are made of an insulating, regenerative, and transparent shell. This camouflages them, which would have made them an extremely challenging foe if it didn't have those glowing veins. I found these at central control last night; they should help if there is another attack." Reaching further into her backpack, Ami produced a stack of thin visors not unlike her own. "These will allow you to see thermal energy, which should make it that much more difficult for them to hide."

Makoto tested out the visors, amused as her friends turned into red blurs. Usagi was balancing her pair on her forefinger.

"Not exactly fashionable," Minako complained, tucking her new night vision specs into her purse nevertheless.

"Why are they here, what is their objective? Something must have triggered this attack now."

"And the bigger question, where did they come from?" Mamoru added, taking Usagi's pair of visors with his own and putting them both where she couldn't break them.

"Its possible it was remnants of another type of youma we've already encountered," Ami hypothesized, tenting her fingers. "We never did return to destroy the hideouts of the enemies we've faced before, it could be that there were youma still within their territory that took the absence of their masters as a sign of freedom."

"Freedom to terrorize," grumbled Usagi.

"It could be a new foe though," argued Minako. "None of the demons have ever looked so...icky before." Ami murmured something about a bonbon.

"I don't understand how its possible for any new enemies to exist at all," Makoto admitted. "We already defeated Chaos, shouldn't that have wiped out all traces of negative energy everywhere?" she wondered aloud, her brows creased.

There was a long silence. Only one person in the room had been alive to see the battle with Chaos, and it was an experience she did not want to relive. "No," Usagi finally said, her voice a breath above a whisper. "Chaos lives in the hearts and minds of everyone, just like the light of hope does. It wasn't destroyed by that last fight at the Cauldron. If anything, it was born anew." A collective shiver went through them at her words.

"So we could be fighting Chaos all over again," Makoto seemed more troubled than the others by this news.

"Let's not jump to conclusions, the monster last night didn't have the same power levels as Chaos, in fact they weren't even close" Ami said. Makoto's shoulders relaxed. "It could be another child of Chaos though, like Metallia, Death Phantom, or Pharaoh 90. It would be unwise to let our guard down just because the youma seem weaker than usual." Artemis' fur ruffled at the remark, but he settled back down. "We should give this new foe the same wariness as any other we've ever faced."

"I agree," the feline said, "We don't know much about this new enemy, and I don't

want anyone to be caught off guard like Venus was last night."

"Hey!" Minako protested, sticking her tongue out at him. "I could have handled that blast just fine!"

"And then spent five years re-growing your new bald spot," Artemis noted, amused. Minako paled at the mental image.

"That still doesn't tell us what their motives are," Rei pointed out, trying to keep everyone on track.

"They could be after energy," said Makoto, tapping her chin.

"Or trying to get rid of it," grumbled Usagi, "It looked like all they wanted to do was fire off those steam blasts."

"Did they show any signs of having a specific target?" Mamoru asked.

"No," Ami shook her head. "They attacked civilians before we arrived, and when everyone was there they kept attacking at random. They only showed sentience enough to attack the weakest in our ranks," Makoto let out an affronted noise. "They don't have mouths to communicate with. I would not be surprised if creatures such as these were being controlled by a third party. I just can't imagine who would want to create such creatures, or for what purpose."

"For now, let's go on the assumption that there is someone else pulling the strings," Minako said, "How do we find them?"

"We could try to track the creatures, but that might result in more havoc." Ami shook her head at Makoto's suggestion.

"What if that was the only one, and no more attacks come? It could be just an isolated incident," Usagi offered.

"Well, since the monster can regenerate an entire new clone of itself from just a small fragment like it did at the park, I wouldn't be surprised if we find several others that broke off from the initial youma earlier. And if there is a source for these youma, it is even more likely." She continued, "Even if we planted a GPS tracker where they would absorb it, there is no guarantee it would stay within that monster the whole way back to their source, or that they even know to return to a third party after being initially released."

"But we have to do something!" Makoto protested, banging her fist on the table. The table shook under the weight, and Rei shot her a scathing look.

"Rei has the fire shown you anything?" asked Minako, trying to distract Makoto from her frustration before she broke something.

Rei scowled. "I couldn't get any reading from the fire for the past month, and last night all it gave me was a feeling of tragedy and drinking something cold." She paused and added, almost like an afterthought, "It seemed almost like the fire wanted me to leave even before it started showing me anything." She pressed her lips together, refusing to mention the flashing violet eyes at the end of the trance. If fate had a role for her to play in the evils ahead, she was going to fight it 'til her dying breath. She was ready and willing to sacrifice everything to protect Usagi, even if she had to sever herself from the senshi forever. If this was an isolated incident though, there was no point to causing the others more worry over a part of the vision that might not even come to pass.

"We could try to get a sample of the creature for Ami to analyze," Mamoru offered. "It might give us a clue as to where they came from, what they are, or who they came from." Minako nodded her agreement.

"There is no guarantee that the material they are made of wouldn't expand into another creature like this last one, or that it wouldn't disappear after they are defeated." Ami sighed.

"We'll try to get a sample anyways," said Makoto.

"There should be containment capsules in central control," Artemis said. "I know there are at least two of them, since both Luna and I arrived in them."

"I'll use those then," Ami agreed. "Their movements are amoeboid, and my scans indicate that they are filled with some type of liquid inside, likely that black slush that Jupiter fell into. That is where their energy stems from, but I'm not sure how..." Ami pulled out her compact, skimming through the notes and data she had made at the previous battle. "It could be related to the red nerve network underneath."

"Usagi and I are the only ones who can seem to hurt it," Rei added. "Is there some way we can make the other attacks more effective?"

"If we could break its shell, the yes," Ami said. "Unfortunately, the youma showed resilience to such attacks, and they resulted in a clean mass breaking off from the shell, which in turn generated the second youma. Its indented orbital hollows seemed to be the youma's only weak spot, and they are not fatal to it."

"Can we not call it a youma?" Usagi whined. "How about blobby yuck, or villian #1000?"

Mamoru smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "We haven't faced that many enemies, now have we?" She made a sound of reluctant agreement.

"I've labeled it polymorph in my notes," said Ami, "although if anyone has a better suggestion..." no one spoke.

From the shadows beside the doorway, a figure stepped forward. "Polymorph is accurate, as always Ami," said a smooth alto voice.

"Pluto!" Usagi exclaimed, her surprise written across her face. "I'm so glad to see you! How have you been?" Everyone was interested in her reason for the arrival, Pluto only appeared when necessary.

"I would love to tell you, but I have another meeting to attend elsewhere," Pluto gave a wry smile, before dropping it as her eyes darkened. "I came to warn you of the dangers ahead. This enemy is unlike any previous adversary," she made sure to lock eyes with each girl in turn, "You will be forced to fight with different rules, and no one here is exempt." She closed her eyes to hide the pain in them, "I will be there for the final battle, but I am needed elsewhere prior." The dark forest of her hair swayed behind her in nonexistent wind, adding to the feeling of unease rising amongst the girls. "Do not lose hope, no matter the odds."

After a pause, Rei leaned forward towards her, her eyes pleading. "Why won't you help us fight?" The fear looming over her about her own betrayal was being contained under a paper thin veil of composure.

"Yeah that is a good point!" Makoto chimed in, turning to stare at Setsuna with distrust. "You should always help us fight. Why didn't you help us fight Metallia and the Dark Kingdom, huh?"

Setsuna shook her head at their questions. "I am sorry, you will have to find your own answers. We are all senshi, if you can believe in nothing else, find faith in that."

The sound of snoring interrupted them. Turning towards the communicator, they all watched as Artemis slid off his pillow, landing on his uninjured side with a thump before getting up. "Ow," he grumbled, climbing back up onto his perch.

"Aren't cats supposed to always land on their feet?" Minako teased, clicking the communicator off before he could retort. When they looked back towards the other end of the table, Sailor Pluto was gone. Rei stared after the spot, feeling her apprehension over her vision multiply tenfold. Makoto looked nonplussed with Pluto's response.

"That's just like her," Makoto groused, "Showing up to give us some vague speech and leaving before she will even answer one question straight."

"She did say she had to be somewhere else," Ami defended.

"Yeah yeah..." Makoto seemed to mollify at the statement, but Rei could feel the stormy emotions lingering in her aura.

"There is something else my scans picked up that we should address," Ami said, her eyes flicking back up to Makoto and staying there. The silence that descended on the room was palpable as everyone turned to the brunette.

She squirmed under the scrutiny, wringing her hands under the table. Makoto wasn't sure if she was ready yet, but she knew that she was just delaying the inevitable. Apparantly, two members of the team already knew her secret. She was blushing and sweating, but she closed her eyes and pulled in a deep calming breath before opening them again with her usual confidence. These were her closest friends, and she had a promise with herself to keep. "I'm pregnant," she said, releasing her breath.

Minako looked like her eyes might pop out of her head. "You're WHAT!" she screeched, jumping over the table in her haste to tackle Makoto in a hug. Usagi was squealing with joy, clapping her hands together while both Rei and Ami exchanged knowing looks, smiling. "How?" Minako gave herself a mental kick. "I mean, who is he? How did you meet? When did this happen! I thought for sure I'd be the first one to lose my virginity," she grumbled under her breath. "I'm so happy for you! Is it a boy or a girl? Or do you even want to know? Is it too early to have a baby shower?"

Her words were coming out so fast now that no one at the table could keep up.

"He's..." Makoto lowered her head, "my boss." A hush fell over the group.

Minako was impressed. "No wonder you're so well off!" she goaded.

"How long?" Mamoru asked, almost wary of the answer.

"Just once!" Makoto blurted, blushing when everyone turned to stare at her. Realizing what Mamoru had actually meant, Makoto blushed harder. "I-I mean, it was a little over two months ago, we aren't actually dating..." She sighed, "We were both at the restaurant late, wine tasting and I guess I drank a little too much. Anyways, we went back to my place and..." she put up her hands, "It just happened."

"How romantic," Rei's sarcastic voice broke the atmosphere with the grace of a

hammer to glass.

"Hey, watch it, pyro," Makoto's eyes sparked. "I don't regret it. Maybe it wasn't a storybook romance, but I'm glad it happened. I've always wanted a family of my own, and this," her hand brushed over her stomach, "This was the perfect opportunity for me."

Ami spoke up, her voice hesitant. "But are you really ready to be a mother?"

Makoto nodded, "I've been ready for a while now. I just hadn't found the right time with the right person."

"But," Usagi intruded, careful not to sound insensitive, "Is he the right person?"

Makoto shrugged, "Right enough. He's attractive and smart and I've been working with him for a year now so I know he has all the qualities I want my kid to have."

Ami braved the question no one else had asked, "Does he know?"

Makoto shook her head, "And he's not going to. He could lose his job if anyone else found out, and I could lose mine too, and I need this job to afford having the baby." She sighed, more relieved now than before she'd revealed her secret even though she knew of the hardships ahead. "Besides, I don't know if he even remembers that night, or wants kids at all."

"You'll start showing eventually," Rei warned, "What are you going to tell him then to keep your job?"

Makoto shrugged. "That I've gotten fat off all the delicious food of course," she smirked. "I'll apply for maternity leave for the final month, but before that, nothing is going to bring me down." She beamed at them. Minako seemed overjoyed at the news, beaming back at her. Their smiles were infectious, and soon everyone at the table was congratulating her, and helping with plans for shopping and an early baby shower.

oOoOoOo

She pondered her namesake, Hotaru, a firefly. Personally, she didn't feel she fit the name.

She was always a gloomy child, who sequestered herself in her room with her multitude of lamps. Lamps that were meant to bring artificial light into the room with thick drapes to blot out the harsh sun.

But a firefly? A glowing creature which brought light into the darkness of night? She did not feel like a firefly. She felt more like a wraith, veiled in never-ending night where others could not see her.

Sighing, she brushed a lock of her raven hair from her eyes, watching the planes come and go over the tarmac.

When she'd been several years younger, she had believed them to be flying cars. She had thought that there were many different kinds of airplanes, great metal airships and smaller ones like the chopper. Of course, her flight of fancy had been cut short when she, Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama had left Tokyo.

That was her first experience in the machine called an airplane.

She had been seven then, and she didn't remember too much about the trip. She remembered the port where the airplane docked had been crowded, and that she'd had to walk through a strange gate that flickered different colors. She remembered the feeling of lifting off the ground, feeling gravity pull her back in her seat.

Now having successfully gone through airport security as a teenager, Hotaru could see the rosy hue of her own youth.

"How much longer?" She whined, bored already. Watching the crafts move around beyond the window in a parody of a dance could only keep her entertained for so long. She felt stiff from sitting for so long.

"Not much longer now, firefly." Michiru patted her shoulder, offering her a sketchbook. "Would you like to draw while we wait?"

A shadow fell over Hotaru's eyes as she took the sketchbook. Suddenly much older in spirit than body, Hotaru began to draw on a blank page, her skill exceeding her years. Michiru watched her warily, elbowing Haruka so that she would notice the change as well. This was happening more and more frequently.

They both loved their foster daughter dearly, but sometimes it appeared as if she had a split personality. Half of her soul was this young spirited girl, their little firefly. The baby girl who use to demand they feed her only noodlies, and who was growing into a feisty teenager.

But the other half...it was a darker entity. Capable of manipulating shadows and hearing whispered secrets, Hotaru's other half was the deadliest of all the senshi. More powerful than even the keeper of time, the wielder of the glaive of silence was hidden beneath Hotara's innocent violet eyes.

Michiru couldn't help but pity Hotaru for her miserable fate. She was the sacrificial soldier, only ever born so that she could die to save the rest. In her last life, her father had used her, making her the vessel for an alien parasite he wished to exploit. When his plan had backfired, he had all but abandoned her, leaving Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka to take up the role as Hotaru's primary caregivers. Haruka and Michiru had been overjoyed at the opportunity to redeem themselves for how they had first treated Hotaru, even if the job of parenting had come a bit earlier than they'd hoped it would in life. Given that they were lesbians, they were unable to ever conceive themselves. And adoption in most of the countries they were legal residents of was still illegal, including Japan. Hotaru had been the perfect baby, very quiet and agreeable even when she was in her diapers. This was he second time they'd raised her now, since she'd again died an early death when Sailor Galaxia attempted to destroy the Earth and everyone on it, including themselves.

Michiru still had nightmares about that woman.

Haruka brought Michiru out of her thoughts, pointing to the finished sketch Hotaru was holding out to Michiru.

"Ouch!" Michiru hissed as she took the sketchbook back, having cut herself on the paper. As a bead of blood welled up, Hotaru reached forward, still in her trance. She held her hand over the finger, before releasing it. When she let go a second later, Michiru was not surprised to see that the wound had healed. She gave Haruka another sideways glance just to make sure she hadn't missed the transaction either.

In a blink, the seriousness was gone from Hotaru, and she huffed in indignation. "Why can't the planes just fly faster!"

Haruka gave her a sneaky smile, "Because then racing cars wouldn't be as popular as racing jets."

Michiru rolled her eyes, the last thing Haruka needed was another machine to tinker with and ride around at speeds that were too reckless for her sanity. She glanced down at the picture Hotaru had drawn, lashes lowering as she used her own abilities to try and see past the picture's outward appearance to its inner meaning.

The image was of a woman, with long hair and an angular face. She appeared oriental, given the slant of her bone structure, and the shortness of her frame. She was wearing clothes, but they seemed to fade into the background of the picture. In one hand she was holding a long pole, with a jagged tip, possibly some sort of javelin. Beneath her was a body, obscured by the shadows Hotaru had filled in around every open space of the picture. But Michiru could make out the thick dark spot on their stomach and chest, a mortal wound.

The part that really caught Michiru's attention though, was a small object in front of the woman's chest.

"Hotaru-chan, what did you draw here?" Michiru pointed to the smudge, leaning over so Hotaru could have easy access to the picture.

Hotaru gave the picture a bored look, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know, it looks like a rock or something. Maybe its a necklace?" Puzzled, but not worried yet, Michiru passed the picture to Haruka.

"What do you think of it?" Haruka read the hint in Michiru's voice, that she shouldn't say anything that might offend the sensitivities of the artist who was sitting between them.

"I think it looks like a flower," Haruka said, nodding her head and ruffling Hotaru's hair. Michiru smiled at the benign analysis, entertained by the bantering that was ensuing between Haruka and Hotaru over how Haruka had ruined her hair. As she mulled over it, staring at the picture, she could see where Haruka had gotten the impression. There were faint edges to the tiny dot, like a lotus.

"Perhaps its a firefly," Michiru mused, trying to distract them. Instead, another shade of darkness descended over Hotaru.

Instead of speaking, she reached out to touch the picture. With one finger, she smeared the graphite from the woman's mouth to the body below, creating a dark line between them. She kept moving her index finger back and forth over the line, until the body below the woman was fully black. Michiru looked at the new image in trepidation.

"Flight 312 to Tokyo is now boarding," came a voice over the intercom, which snapped Hotaru back to herself.

"Finally!" she said, standing up with her bag.

Michiru closed the sketchbook, careful not to damage the picture. That line had some meaning, she was sure of it. She didn't dwell on it until they were on board the airplane, and even then, the connection between the line and the two figures still escaped her. She gave up midway through the flight, leaning on Haruka's shoulder and sleeping the rest of the trip. There was no reason to linger on the meaning of the ominous picture.

oOoOoOo

After hours of research, hunger finally won out over willpower. Ami's stomach churned as she put her notes about standard practice procedure away, it would not help her to keep going over them endlessly. Between her studying for her internship and her attempts to research this new foe, Ami was stretched to her limits. Putting on her slippers, Ami wrote a quick note for her mother and fixed it to the wall board by the front door before heading out in search of food. Her mother was unlikely to return since she had the graveyard shift tonight, but in case she did, Ami did not want her to worry.

It was around midnight, and so a trip through the nearest 24-hour grocery store was in progress when she felt the disturbance. Turning towards the ruckus, she saw that part of the energy drinks and bottled water aisle had been catapulted into the snacks and juice aisle beside it, a massive polymorph wriggling its way through the ruined merchandise. Several customers had been injured, although from her distance she couldn't tell if it was from the fallen shelves or the monster's attack.

This one was twice the size of the first polymorph, but had all the same characteristics. Given the indoor setting though, its size was turning what would have been a disorderly panic into an organized catastrophe. People were rushing for the exit in herds, and the polymorph was aiming for the densest groups, injuring several innocents at a time rather than picking off one or two.

On instinct, she reached to press the all call button on her communicator. At the last second, she paused, instead pressing the individual buttons of corresponding colors, omitting green. "Polymorph at the grocery mart on 14th street," Rei and Usagi nodded, Minako had yet to answer but Ami knew the other girls would fill her in.

Ducting into an overturned display, Ami called out her transformation phrase. Stepping forward, she pulled out her computer, analyzing this new enemy for any new threats or weaknesses. However, according to the data input she was receiving from her visor, it could be a clone of the previous polymorph down to the cellular level. Her stomach let out a rumble and she blushed despite herself.

The monster seemed unaware of her presence, and continued to fire off bursts of steam into the frozen food section. Ami helped the few remaining civilians out from underneath the toppled metal. There were only three injured still in the store, and the most troublesome appeared to be the fractured femur in an elderly man. Sailor Mercury let out a sigh of relief, supporting his weight as she carried him to an uninjured teenager before passing him off. "Leave immediately, keep everyone outside, don't let anyone else in until the police arrive."

Without warning, a searing pain rushed past Mercury's shoulder. Hissing, she whirled around to see the creature sluggishly rolling forward, camouflaged against the produce behind it. Once again, it was showing enough intelligence to target the group of three over the last injured occupant.

Mercury narrowly dodged another attack, typing into her compact this new information as her shoulder began stinging. Two voices behind her caught her attention.

"Hold it right there!" Sailor Moon and Mars stood in the main entrance to the store, giving their standard speech. A swirl of black at the edge of her vision alerted Mercury to Tuxedo Mask's arrival as well. Both girls seemed disoriented and Mercury realized neither of them was wearing the visors she'd supplied them with. Just as she was about to remind them, Mars pulled hers forth from her subspace pocket, holding it up to her eyes. Moon mirrored her movements, and once Mercury felt confident they could both detect the enemy as well as her own visor could, she went back to typing.

Mars jumped into the battle, wasting no time before firing a flaming arrow at the polymorphs indentations. The wretched black fluid frothed out again, while the creature still used its amoeboid undulations to slide forward. It was roaring its pain, and blasting holes in the architecture now that it was blinded. The origin of the sound was disconcerting, since this polymorph, like its predecessor, still had no mouth.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" A barrage of razor leaves slashed at the polymorph and Mercury's eyes narrowed. She had intentionally not called Sailor Jupiter to this battle, and yet it seemed someone else had taken the liberty.

"Venus Love me Chain!" With a relieved sigh, everyone looked over to see Sailor Venus standing in a hole blasted into the wall, her links of light binding the blob.

"We need a sample!" Mercury called out to remind everyone, reaching into her subspace pocket to pull out a jar she had retrieved from central control earlier.

"On it!" Sailor Moon launched her fully charged tiara at the polymorph, arm outstretched to control the discus even after it left her hand. As it hurtled towards the creature, she yanked her arm sideways, tearing off a sliver of gelatinous material.

While the glowing tiara passed the creature and spun back to its owner, Mercury noticed that the florescent lights on the ceiling were no longer functioning.

Jupiter lunged forward, scooping up the segment in a cloth from underneath some destroyed oranges, tying it around the gunk and hurling the cloth towards Sailor Mercury.

A groaning caught her attention, and for a second Mercury thought her stomach was protesting again. Then she noticed that the shelves were quivering. The building gave a groan of strain, and Mercury turned nervous eyes to the support pillars of the store. One of them had been cleaved by an earlier attack and lay in rubble, and another had a large chunk blown out. Looking back to the airborne cloth, Mercury held the open jar out, catching it deftly and slamming the lid on. She let it drop into her subspace pocket, already turning around to face the entrance. "We need to get outside, now!" The lights weren't functioning because the polymorph had blasted a hole in the wiring, and combined with the many others, the building was now a hollow block of Swiss cheese. Without two of its support columns, massive holes in its walls, and with many of the aisles already toppled, there is no way it would hold for much longer. At a run, Mercury grabbed Sailor Jupiter's hand as she dove for the nearest exit.

Another foreboding growl tore through the building before it shuddered under its own weight. Sailor Moon darted outside with Tuxedo Kamen, Venus not far behind them, and not a second too soon.

Mercury's breath died in her throat as the roof of the grocery store crashed down behind her, crushing everything inside. Whirling around, she saw with horror that only four people were behind her, not five.

Dust and debris billowed out in a cloak around the roar of concrete. Somewhere in the cacophony, Sailor Moon was screaming for Mars, and Tuxedo Mask was physically restraining her from running back to the collapsing structure.

When it finally settled, Mercury's visor picked up a figure emerging from the destruction, and she sucked in a deep rush of air. Sailor Moon was still fighting to free herself from Tuxedo Mask.

Coughing and hacking, Sailor Mars stumbled out, waving her arms in a vain attempt to clear the air around her. As one, Sailor Moon and Venus rushed forward to help her, both of them pulling her away from the ruined grocery store.

Their relief was short lived as a trail of black fluid appeared against the backdrop of rubble.

Running to the other side to prevent it from escaping, Sailor Mercury yelled to the others, "We need to combine attacks and finish it off before it can regenerate!" Everyone nodded, separating in a circle around it before using their remaining energy to blast the polymorph into dusty oblivion. It went down without a fight, only the smell of burnt flesh and a noise like wet mud giving away its former presence.

With the danger behind them, Sailor Mercury approached Sailor Mars, compact and visor already searching for injury. The few pedestrians around had fled to the street, and were now watching the proceedings in shock. Mercury knew they wouldn't stay back for long, though. Eternal Sailor Moon rushed to Mars' side, pelting her with questions.

"Who called you here?" Mercury spoke to Jupiter, her tone no nonsense as soon as her computer had confirmed Mars was uninjured.

"Me," Mars rasped, her eyes steely. "She's a senshi even if she's knocked up." After a bit of coughing, she stepped forward toward them, brushing the dust off herself.

"Nice, real sweet," Jupiter nettled from her place beside Mercury, rubbing her sore behind.

"I can ask a pregnant patient to avoid strenuous and dangerous activity, and since she hasn't been to see a doctor-"

"I'm still here you know!" Sailor Jupiter interjected.

Mercury continued undaunted, "It falls to me to make sure she and her child remain healthy and safe, even if that means revoking her transformation wand."

Jupiter crossed her arms, expression sour. "I'd like to see you try."

"You could have died tonight," Mercury informed Jupiter, her voice grave.

"Its my body, who are either of you to tell me what I can or can't do while pregnant?" Jupiter protested. Mercury's expression remained unrelenting.

"We need her," Mars insisted, siding with Jupiter. "If she hadn't been there, Artemis could be dead, or worse! And we wouldn't have your sample of polymorph innards," Mars narrowed her eyes at Mercury, temper flaring.

"The last thing she needs is for her friends, who are supposed to protect each other, to force her into situations like tonight." Mercury put her computer away, assured of Mar's health by her continued ability to argue.

"Its my life!" Jupiter countered.

"You've got more to think about than just yourself now!" Mercury was on the verge of bursting with righteous anger, the doctor in her disgusted at the thought of someone endangering a baby this way.

Mars' nostrils flared as she stepped between them. "None of our lives, not even her child's, is worth more than the lives of everyone in this city!"

"Enough!" Venus yelled, holding out her arms to silence the two senshi. "It isn't up to either of you," she turned to face the expecting senshi. "I can't force you not to come to any battles. As the leader of the inner senshi though, I can order you not to." She gave her a stern look, when Jupiter started to protest. "I think you already know that you shouldn't, especially if you care about the baby."

Sailor Jupiter looked like she was swallowing a bitter pill, but she relented, unfolding her arms. "Fine, I won't fight." When Mercury started to relax, she continued, "But I am still going to come to the battles. I'm a part of this team as much as any of you, and even if I'm not fighting, you might still need my backup." Venus looked displeased, and Mercury even more so, but everyone nodded.

"Senshi meeting tomorrow at three," Venus said. She pointed to the crowd gathering in the street. "We need to go though, before the police and press arrive."

"Or worse, the paparazzi," Mars griped, jumping away.

The others followed her lead, disappearing in different directions, leaving Venus standing alone in the parking lot. With a sheepish laugh at her slow reflexes, Venus left the scene as well.

As Ami returned to her apartment, she realized she still hadn't eaten anything. With a frustrated sound her stomach piped up its unhappiness. Going through the fridge, she foraged for something that was not expired, finally settling on a frozen meal. While it heated in the microwave, she thought back on the battle. Something seemed off, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Dismissing it as her overtaxed brain playing tricks on her, she pulled the food out and began to eat. She would begin analyzing the contents of the capsule tomorrow, after she'd had a full night of sleep.

oOoOoOo

She crept up the porch steps, easing the door knob to open before tiptoeing into the kitchen. It had to be past 2 a.m. by now, and she didn't want to wake anyone up, especially Artemis who was still recuperating.

As she rounded the corner to the staircase, the hallway light came on. Momentarily blinded, Minako held up an arm to shield her face. When she lowered it, she saw both her parents standing at the edge of the staircase. A sick sense of dread washed through her.

"What were you out doing until the wee hours of the morning?" Her mother demanded, her arms at her hips.

"Or 'who'," her father said, disgust in his voice as he looked over Minako's nightdress.

"I-I was...with the girls. I guess I just lost track of time," Minako fibbed, sweating and rubbing the back of her head to emphasize her innocence. Inside she prayed her parents would buy it.

"Just like last week, and the week before that?" her mother challenged.

"I-"

Her father cut her off before she could speak. "I won't have my daughter becoming some cheap slut." Minako's eyes bulged at the accusation.

Before he could go further her mother pitched in, brows pinched. "You lie to us, use us and ignore us as you please. Well I've had enough. You are hereby grounded. No television, no phone, no friends and no dates. You will go directly to school and come straight home when it ends. You will not leave your room until we call you for dinner, and when the meal is finished you will go back to your room."

"What?" Minako's face betrayed her emotionally compromised state. She could feel bile rising in her throat, and salty burning in her eyes.

Her father still looked like he was chewing on something sour. "You won't be seeing those girls again either." He advanced towards her, savage in his movements, "I won't have it, not in my house."

"Okay," Minako's eyes turned cold, her face devoid of expression. She felt like bursting into hysterical laughter and bawling at the same time, but her years of practice acting reigned in her emotional turmoil. Brushing past her parents, she didn't wait to see the surprise register on their faces as she went up to her room and closed the door.

Artemis looked up as she entered, disoriented and unkempt from having his nap disturbed. She locked the door behind her, moving to the closet and transferring a heap of clothing onto the bed. "We're leaving," she announced, bending to pull a suitcase out from underneath the bed frame.

"Hhmuh?" Artemis rolled off his pillow tower, stretching to wake himself up. "Wha? Where are we going?"

"I don't know and I don't care." She moved to the dresser, rifling through it and grabbing certain items before tossing them onto the pile of clothes. Going over to the bed she shoved the stack into the suitcase.

"Minako..." Artemis began, his tone sympathetic. Minako and her mother had never really gotten along well, but recently Minako's father had begun to enter into their fights as well. Her parents had been fighting each other more than usual as well, as if it wasn't enough stress for them to fight with Minako already.

"Don't," she said, grabbing a pillow and blanket off her bed.

Artemis rethought the encouraging words he had been about to deliver, settling instead for silence while she packed. He wondered what Luna might have said if she had been put in a similar position, but the feeling brought nothing but longing for his missing companion.

"I'm leaving with or without you," Minako deadpanned, dumping a bag full of toiletries into the suitcase as well. She shoveled a mess of cords into the bag as well, throwing her phone and jewelry into the last pocket of space. Slamming the lid shut she lifted the suitcase up over her shoulder, heading towards the window. Lifting it open, she climbed to the tree outside, pulling the suitcase out behind her.

He knew it was never really a choice to begin with, he belonged with the senshi not her family, but for her sake he wanted both. It was disheartening to think that the senshi he was charged with protecting could not be saved from such decisions, no matter his guidance. With a weary sigh, he bit down on the corner of the friendship bracelet Usagi had given her for her last year, carrying it in his mouth.

Being careful not to injure himself further, Artemis hopped out onto the tree, butting his head up against her leg in silent support. She was old enough to know the consequences of this decision; he just hoped she was strong enough to deal with them.

oOoOoOo

She was tired, and she was starving, but the worst part was that she was dirty. She felt like a mudpuppy, a skulking, filthy mudpuppy.

Her target was a balding man in his early sixties, and he was approaching a burly man. Animal instinct warned her that this would not end well, so she moved a few feet further back. They exchanged a few words that she could barely make out, something about a cost and repayment. Sure enough, they began to struggle after that. The bulkier man had the clear advantage in muscle, and for a minute it seemed as if he would overwhelm the target. She felt her hope rise, maybe she had been wrong after all.

But the smaller man was pushing the larger one back now, inhuman with his strength. From her vantage point atop a dumpster, she could see a mottled glow around the man's body as he thrust the thug to the ground. Brutally, he began to pummel the criminal, only stopping when the other man held up his hands to beg. Disgusted, the older man moved away, turning to leave the massive man on the ground.

But the defeated man had a weapon, which he pulled forth as soon as the balding elder man's back was turned. It gleamed in the streetlight, although she couldn't tell if it were a knife or a gun. That was remedied soon enough when two loud bangs fired off.

Instead of falling over dead, the balding man began to laugh. It was a low chortle, as though he were amused.

If she had blinked, she would have missed it.

Her target moved, and in a flash the other man was dead, his head severed from his body. Any doubts she had about the supernatural origin of his abilities were put to rest, he was not human. He turned away from the man, stopping to look around. He appeared suspicious, but when his eyes settled on her, she felt a thrill of fear go through her.

In her head she chanted assurances to herself, praying he wouldn't see her.

Shaking his head at himself, he moved on. She was safe, he hadn't known.

Jumping down from the dumpster, she stretched out before resuming her hunt. It was going to be a long night, and she doubted this would be the last victim murdered during it.

Looking around, she noticed this area was particularly desolate, there were only closed shops as far as the eye could see, not one witness within sight. He must have planned it this way.

She had to keep both eyes on him, and do a better job at hiding her presence. If she got caught, then she couldn't gather the information she needed.

And she needed to know if he was who she suspected him to be.

Everything depended on it.

oOoOoOo

When Rei arrived back at the Hikawa Jinja, not even her fatigue from the fight kept her sixth sense from picking up that something was off. She hesitated at the top of the steps, looking around to sense where the feeling originated.

Everything was quiet, and the darkness of the forest that was usually a soft curtain around the temple seemed more like a looming shadow. It was then she noticed Deimos and Phobos were nowhere in sight.

With her fear now palpable, Rei rushed forward. She threw open the door to the main entrance, and froze at the sight before her.

The table had been covered with candles, but it looked as though they had been burning for quite some time unattended. Cherry blossom petals were scattered on the floor as if forgotten. Hitomi had her back the door as she washed dishes, unaware of Rei's entry into what looked like something from one of Minako's cheap romance novels. Rei stepped towards her, ignoring the candles. "Hitomi-chan?" she moved to the side to peer at the girl's face.

It was painted wet with tears.

"It was gonna, perfect," the preteen mumbled to herself, swallowing a few hiccups, her hands were wrinkled with soap and water. Rei guessed she'd been cleaning these same dishes for at least an hour. "It was...he wasn't..." she choked on a sob, the plate in her hands shaking. "He wasn't s'pose...to…" Rei wrapped an arm around the girl, shushing her and urging her to sit. Hitomi was too weak to resist, her small frame already trembling.

"Breathe," Rei rubbed slow circles on the girl's back, trying to calm her spasming sobs. After waiting a few minutes until the worst of her cries acquiesced, Rei spoke again. "What happened?" Hitomi tensed at her words, tightening the vice-grip she had somehow gotten on Rei's now sudsy skirt.

She opened her mouth to speak but only a strangled gurgle came out before she dissolved into another fit of tears.

Another door slid open, and Rei turned to see Yuuichirou standing in the frame, looking more disheveled than Hitomi. He was wearing his formal robes, but his sleeves were wrinkled and his hair had fallen out of its wrappings. His skin was red, his eyes puffy and haunted. When he saw Rei, he closed his eyes to hide his pain but Rei's second sight had already seen past it to its source.

A chill swept through her soul. "No..." she whispered, jerking to her feet even as Hitomi crumpled over herself, still in hysterics but now without Rei's body bracing her.

Rushing past Yuiichirou she ran reckless down the hall, throwing the door off its hinges in her rush to reach her grandfather's chambers.

"Grandpa!" she trembled as she saw the unmoving form in his bed, two ravens sitting on the railing to his porch, both looking down. "No..." it came out as a keening whine. Her senses were humming, and the combined despair welling from her two most trusted guardians only amplified her reaction. Feeling sobs wrench themselves free of her control, she managed to take two steps forward before the world collapsed beneath her. Racked with the force of her grief, she fell on the floor sobbing.

She clawed at the floorboards, screaming for him and wailing as her whole frame shook. She felt like she was suffocating, her chest was tight and her sobs were cutting her oxygen down to shallow bursts. Her vision was swimming beyond her tears, and the limp form of her grandfather appeared more deathly still than ever.

Yuuichirou followed in behind her, wrapping his arms around her as she wept and howled her anguish. He mimicked her earlier motions with Hitomi, silent tears covering his face as well, ignoring the pain in his raw palms and dashed hopes.

He had been ready to propose to her tonight, but given the turn of events, the gods seemed unfavoring. As he attempted to soothe Rei, he wondered if he would ever find the courage to try again after this horrendously ill-timed attempt.

Right now though, Rei needed him, and he was ready to stay by her side as long as it took for her to run out of tears.

It was nearing 3 a.m. when she finally passed out from exhaustion. Yuuichirou carried her to her own bed, pulling the blanket up and closing the door behind himself as he left.

Morning would come too soon for her, but he would be there when it did.

oOoOoOo

It was 4:37 a.m when Makoto woke up to her doorbell ringing. Makoto had always been a deep sleeper, but being pregnant had doubled her lethargy. Pulling her limbs out from beneath the comforter was more challenging than the earlier polymorph battle. Lumbering out of bed, she rubbed the grit from her eyes and answered the door, still half-asleep. She let out a large yawn, shaking her head to try and clear the fog. "Minako-chan?" she asked, noticing the suitcase at her feet and exhausted cat on her shoulder even in the dim porch light. "What's going on?"

Minako bit her lip, regretting the imposition already. "I didn't know where else to go..." Minako said, containing most of her internal distress to prevent it from leaking into her voice. It remained steady as she continued, "Do you think I could..."

Still half asleep it took an extra second for Makoto to realize what was happening. "Of course!" She ushered her in, taking the suitcase from her and gesturing towards the futon sofa. "You can stay however long you need."

Minako gave her a thankful smile, stepping inside the small apartment and setting her suitcase down by the door. Makoto flipped the light switch on as she helped Minako get comfortable.

Closing and locking the door, Makoto moved into the kitchen to light the stove under her kettle. She could tell it was going to be a long night. Bringing two cups of tea back out, she proffered one to Minako as she took a seat. "Want to talk about it?"

Minako took the tea, drawing in a deep gulp. "No." With a knowing look from Artemis, Makoto stayed put, waiting. "My parents and I fought," Minako began, taking in more tea. "They told me they'd chain me to the house, that I can't see you guys anymore, blah blah blah." Makoto knew Minako well enough to know that her blase words belied a deeper wound.

"I can't stay there anymore. They don't know I'm a senshi," Minako continued as Makoto and Artemis listened. "And I don't want to ever tell them. That would be just another thing to fight about." Minako set down her empty cup on the coffee table. "But of course I can't give up seeing you guys, as long as I'm still Venus anyways." Artemis' ears perked up as he moved to sit on Minako's lap.

"I thought you liked being a senshi," he muttered, curling up against her while she brushed his fur, careful not to touch the burn spot.

"I do," she amended, her eyes distant. Makoto watched her over the rim of her own cup, letting Minako get everything out before she spoke. "I just hate having to choose between my loyalty to my family or the princess." Minako gave a heavy sigh, her fatigue showing through her facade of nonchalance. Makoto stood up, taking the empty cup from the counter.

"You're lucky to have them, even if you don't get along with them," Makoto said, rinsing out the cups.

Artemis spoke up too. "I'm sure that if you give them some time, they'll come around. Your parents love you Minako. I just hope your distance doesn't push them further away."

Minako let out a weary puff of air, "As if that's possible," she said, laying down on the sofa. This was the first time she had run away, and Artemis could see she already doubted her choice despite her anger.

"Well like I said, you are welcome to stay as long as you like," Makoto said, smiling at her. "It will be nice having someone to talk to other than the plants."

Moving to her closet, Makoto pulled forth a spare blanket and draped it over Minako. "Sorry I don't have any extra pillows, but the throw pillows are pretty nice even-" Makoto looked down to see that Minako was already fast asleep. Smiling, she turned out the light as she headed back to her bedroom.

"Goodnight."

AN: A thousand thank yous to MGray for beta reading this for me. 3 I hope everyone enjoyed this rather somber chapter. Don't worry though, the stars can't shine unless its dark out, and I plan to let all the stars get their glitter in before this story is over.


	3. Desperation

"In other news, the murders of formerly convicted criminals continue. Today the body of one Yur-" Ikuko flipped off the television, it really was a violent world and she didn't need the newscaster to remind her.

She coughed into the back of her elbow as she put a ceramic dish away. Shaking her head to clear the fog that had been over her all morning, she reached for another glass from the dishwasher, setting it down on the counter when her hand trembled. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the mucus she could feel building up in her throat. Shingo must have passed his cold onto her, she mused. Shaking her head again, she put the glass away. Since she was a housewife, she figured that a day or two of procrastinating on the laundry would be the worst of the detriment caused by a cold.

The floorboards creaked as Shingo wobbled down the staircase. "Shingo!" She called out, already moving to assist the boy as he poked his head around the corner. "You should be in bed, resting; you'll be too tired to go to the doctor later if you don't." Shingo waved her off, sitting down in the living room.

"I was hungry and I heard someone down here. Make me a sandwich?" He grinned. She let out an exasperated sigh, throwing a loaf of bread to him.

"You aren't that sick, but nice try." Overcome by a wave of dizziness, she gripped the counter to steady herself, her back to Shingo.

"You okay mum?" Before he could finish speaking, Ikuko crumpled to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "MOM!" Shingo drew a raspy gasp as he dropped the bread, trying to catch her weight before she cracked her head against the floor, succeeding in holding up some of her weight while she fell.

Her body hit the floor before her head, and for that Shingo was grateful. He was only able to slow the descent of her upper half to the floor, but it was enough to make sure she didn't get a concussion. Adrenaline raced through him, as he sat awkwardly on the floor with the unconscious body of his mother. He shook her shoulders, but she remained unresponsive. Setting her full weight down on the floor, he jumped up and grabbed a towel, turning on the faucet and running the water. A small cough bubbled up in his throat, escaping as he drenched the towel. Returning to his mother he put the cloth to her face, exhaling with relief when she blinked owlishly. "Shingo?"

He felt like bear-hugging her but settled for helping her sit up. "You passed out Mom," he let out another unsteady breath which devolved into coughing afterwards. Ikuko took the towel, holding it up to her forehead. Shingo was caught up in the fit of coughing, and he curled up on himself, wheezing and gasping until the spasms had passed.

"I guess I got your cold," she admitted, rubbing his back until he could speak again.

"Almost gave me a heart attack," Shingo complained, followed immediately by, "Does this mean I don't have to go to the doctor today?"

She turned bemused eyes onto her son, "No, it means I'm scheduling an appointment for myself, too."

Usagi was too busy preparing for her date with Mamoru to notice the small commotion downstairs. She flipped through her closet, searching for an outfit that didn't scream immaturity, a task that was proving to be quite difficult. Frustrated with the excess of sundresses, she pulled out a strapless purple one. She ignored the fact it had red hearts printed up and down it, reaching for the scissors. After making a generous slit in the side, she nodded her approval, pulling it on. She spun around, disappointed when it only showed off her kneecaps. She pulled a red shawl from her closet, looping it around the middle of the dress. Folding the fabric up on itself, she pulled the shawl tight around her midsection, satisfied when the hemline rested above her knees.

It took her well over an hour to find and apply the right shade of lipstick, eye shadow, eyeliner and powder to lighten the bags under her eyes. She was still having nightmares, and Luna had yet to return home. She let her worry roll off her shoulders though, Luna could defend herself just fine.

She studied her reflection, making sure everything was perfect. Blowing her reflection a kiss she grabbed a comb and started untangling her hair. Once it was tame, she twisted it up into buns, braiding ribbons into the trailing streamers of hair and looping them back up to wrap around the buns. Satisfied, she skipped downstairs, calling out a cursory goodbye as she left the house.

Shingo stared after her in confusion. Had she not really noticed that both he and Ikuko were still on the floor? And that hadn't looked like her trademark hairstyle either. He fidgeted, suddenly itchy as the door closed behind her. He reached up to scratch his neck, but it failed to alleviate the uncomfortable feeling.

oOoOoOo

Minako was on a mission. Her objective: to find the cutest binky ever. Her status: still despairingly single, and failing at said mission to compound matters. It was the trendiest thing for children right now to have stuffed animals, blankets were out of style, and Minako wasn't about to play granny-aunt and buy the baby clothing. She perused another rack of toys, wondering whether a stuffed bunny or a squirrel would seem less threatening to a baby. With the massive plastic eyes they'd sewn onto each of them, she had no doubt the kid would have nightmares for weeks. Above that, a display of neon stuffed plant-creatures guarded the eyeball monsters. It was like something out of a children's horror movie. Minako shook her head.

Turning around to face the other side of the shelves, she picked up a seemingly harmless dog toy. It let out a boisterous "Veggies rule! Let's go to school!" and Minako almost dropped it in her surprise. She looked around, sheepish, but there were only a few other patrons in this toy shop and they didn't seemed bothered by the musical styling of the stuffed animal. Putting it back she ambled away, glad Artemis was not with her to witness.

Moving onto another aisle of plushies, Minako stopped in front of a sales display. On it, a pyramid was stacked to the ceiling, made with teddies. Selecting one at random, she examined the creature. Its fibers were soft, and its eyes weren't impossibly large, but it still didn't feel right to her somehow. Setting it back down, her eyes fell upon another bear.

This one was a different color, brown instead of white like the previous toy. Picking it up, she turned it over as she scrutinized it. Soft fur, marbles for eyes, and a brand name that told her it was still a popular item, said this was the decided winner. Smiling, Minako moved away from the display towards the register, bear in hand.

En route, she saw a familiar figure in the aisle behind hers.

"Unazuki?"

The chipper redhead turned towards her, a broad smile on her face when she saw her.

"Minako-chan!" Laughing she went towards the blonde, an oriental man tailing behind her. "Its been so long since I last saw you!"

Minako eyed the man hovering a few feet away. "Yeah, it really has..."

Catching her line of sight, Unazuki remembered her introductions. "Minako, this is Nobuo. Nobuo, Minako." Unazuki clasped her hands around Minako's. "So if you're in this store too, that means..."

Minako face faulted, laughing and trying to think up a quick retreat without being insensitive. "No, I'm just here shopping for a friend of mine. But you are...?" She let the question hang.

Unazuki's ponytail bobbed up and down as she nodded, and Minako could see her cart was already stuffed with diapers and toys. "Four months!" She declared, pride showing through. "We're getting married first though."

Before she could continue, the electronic hum of Route Venus interrupted the two.

Feeling embarrassed, Minako fished out her phone, waving an apology and farewell to the two as she answered the call.

"Hello?" Her smile dropped when she heard the voice on the other end.

"That sounds nice, but after the other night I really don't think—"

She frowned, worrying her lower lip. "…Yes I'm free, but—" She paused to listen. "I do want to see that…" After another moment she sighed and nodded, "I guess I'll see you then."

Clicking off the phone, she noticed that Unazuki and Nobuo had left the store. "Just my luck," she muttered.

Not far away, a pair of garnet eyes watched her before slipping back into the shadows. Now was not the right time to reveal her presence, and there were other matters to attend to.

oOoOoOo

When Rei woke, her skin was hard with dried tears. For a blissful moment her memory of the previous day did not come. But it returned with the weight of a boulder, pressing down on her, along with a massive headache. Clamping down on her rising emotions, Rei stood. Today she would be expected to be strong, and she would be.

The morning was lost in a blur. When she gathered herself again, she was standing before a casket. She wanted to recite a prayer in old Japanese, but the words were unfamiliar and never made it past her lips. Instead she just stood there staring at the polished rosewood, unable to push down more tears from her hollowed heart.

Her thoughts were trapped in the maze that was her mind, and the pain she had suffered yesterday had fled her while she slept. Now she was left with a clawing emptiness, her heart caged in a coffin of its own.

The afternoon that followed went by in a similar haze, and when she regained her senses, she found herself in the prayer room. Sitting before the flames, she tried to keep her composure, but in front of the fire more ancient and holy than even her grandfather had been, she could feel her sorrow rising again.

She didn't know when it happened, but when she woke up, she was still seated before the fire, her skin sticky from sweat or tears. She couldn't remember crying, but she didn't rule out the possibility.

On impulse, she began to meditate. She sent out the most heartfelt plea to the fire to grant her a vision for the future. Anything to prove she would live past the grief that was eating at her ability to feel, to exist.

The silence it returned her stung like a physical blow.

Feeling more tears gathering, she stood, moving away from the fire. However, Yuuichirou was standing in front of the door, blocking her exit.

"Rei?"

He watched her slip back into her shell, the shiny glimmer in her eyes dissipating. She made a noise of acknowledgement, but her stare was blank.

"I wanted to talk to you..." He went up to her, taking a seat in front of her. Rei sat down as well, but he couldn't tell whether or not she was listening. The vacant stare was disconcerting. "Last night, I...well," he closed his eyes. "You won't be a miko much longer, especially now that the temple is yours."

"What?" Rei snapped out of her trance, zeroing in on what he'd said. "This temple isn't mine."

"But, the attorney earlier... he said the Grandpa Hino left it to you, remember?" Yuuichirou didn't bring up the money Grandpa Hino had left to him. It wasn't much, but he knew the man only made a meager living to begin with. "Without a head priest, and since you now own the Hikawa Jinja...I assumed you would take up the role of priestess..." Rei's eyes were glazed again, but she did respond.

"Its not mine," she reiterated. "I am a mere miko, I can't perform the duties of priestess, I don't have the spiritual authority to-"

She sounded like a robot, and Yuuichirou didn't want to hear the rest. If she didn't want the title of priestess there was no hope of her ever being eligible to wed. Miko were celibate. Dimly he wondered if she was being sensitive, since the only other person suited to run the temple was himself.

"Rei," he placed a hand over hers, trying not to wince as his bloodied skin chaffed at the contact. "He left it to you. He didn't want anyone else, even me, running this shrine. He wanted you to follow his lead, and he taught you everything you'd need to know to succeed. I respect his choice." He looked at her eyes, that same exotic violet but with less shine and irritated red skin around them. She must have been crying again.

"There is still time before the funeral, so think about it." He removed his hand, putting it back in his lap. "And if you want to remain a miko, I will...well I'm not sure what I'll do. But its your decision Rei." He stood up, leaving before she could say something to make him stay.

Not that she would have.

Rei was so lost she didn't know whether she was awake or dreaming some nightmarish version of reality. Everything was upside down and inside out, and she just wanted to close her eyes and make it all go away. She'd only heard half of what Yuuichirou had said, but it was too much information for her overtaxed mind. With grandpa gone, the fire rejecting her again, and the new polymorph enemy threat to worry over, she could barely function.

Yuuichirou's presence was a small comfort, but his words were not. Couldn't he understand that she didn't want to be head priestess? It meant that grandpa really was gone, and that she was alone.

She wrapped her arms around herself, giving in to the show of weakness while she was isolated in this private sector of the shrine.

There were still preparations to be made for grandpa's funeral. She would need to have her wits about her for the kagura dance, a customary farewell to the deceased. Maybe she'd already done it; it was so hard to remember anything when all she could think about was grandpa.

She couldn't even remember the last thing she'd said to him.

More depressed than ever, Rei tossed a forlorn look at the fire before steeling herself to re-enter the main hall of the shrine.

oOoOoOo

Ami went back over the jar's readings a sixth time. Her computer had the biochemical structure pulled up on the screen, along with the physical properties, and yet she still couldn't quite grasp exactly what the substance was. It appeared to be made up of mostly lipids and proteins, and if its hydroxyl groups were any indication, it was highly volatile. That explained the massive amounts of energy put into the water vapor attacks, since heating a liquid up required large quantities of energy. However, the other properties of the substance were more complicated, and more troubling.

Unlike most creatures with regenerative properties, the polymorph substance did not have stem cells for redifferentiation. It was likely some form of epimorphosis, but what kind exactly eluded Ami. Even after several hours of research she still couldn't quite grasp how it could reform itself so quickly.

More troubling was the dual-state nature of the substance. It appeared to be somewhere between liquid and solid no matter the temperature, a constant gelatinous mound. It had swollen to the full size of the jar, and Ami was too worried that removing the lid would expand it further to risk extracting a segment for chemical testing. Her compact's observations would have to suffice. It was frustrating to the academic side of her, being unable to study it under a microscope in the presence of other substances to understand its full capabilities and weaknesses. However, the cautious side always took the wheel in Ami's decisions, and this would be no different.

One thing she had learned, was that the substance was full of impurities at the cellular and macro biological level. Larger degradation made sense, since the first polymorph had been absorbing most of its surroundings in the park, it was bound to accumulate excess matter. This would erode and corrupt the surface cells, but what didn't make sense were the impurities on the internalized cells and their organelles. Difficult as it was to gauge their extent given her limited sample and small compact screen, she could still make out the altered structures. It could be the result of mutenagenic compounds or radiation, or even both. Ami had no way to determine which was the underlying cause, only that the result was a mutated DNA strand that didn't match any organisms in the public Gene Bank database.

The camouflaging technique the polymorphs employed was an illusion, caused by the structure of the epithelial cells floating on the surface of the gel. Light bent around them, giving the impression that whatever was behind the creature was in front of it as well to organisms with only sight in the visible spectrum. Ami was doubly glad she'd made the cheap visors for the other girls, since there was little else that could be done to counter the effects of what she'd dubbed the 'invisibility cells'. The creative part of Ami wanted a sample of those cells in particular, so that she could work out her own more practical use for them, but the cautious side won out again, and she put the closed capsule back into her subspace pocket. With a sigh, she looked back over the information, stopping again at the section she'd begun about the cloning tissues. Maybe it was some type of asexual reproductive cycle...

Before she could give her new hypothesis much investigation, the phone rang. Since her note from last night was still prominently displayed, she wondered if her mother was calling to let her know she wouldn't be home again.

Picking up the receiver, she answered. "Hello?"

"This is Tokyo General Hospital, is this Mizuno Ami?" Perplexed, Ami was already forming theories in her head for why the hospital might be calling the home phone number for her and not her mother. Hope rose in her at the idea that the internship might have an earlier opening.

"This is she, how may I help you?"

"Your mother, Mizuno Mariko-" Ami tried not to feel a twinge of disappointment that the call wasn't about her, before hearing the rest, "has been put into the ICU for hypothermia."

Ami's eyes widened, she felt her own temperature drop as a chill went through her. Her mind was already racing. How was it possible she could have hypothermia in the middle of August?

"Her pulse is weak, but we have her on oxygen-"

"Are sure this isn't one of Mariko's patients? She is a surgeon at Tokyo General, are you sure you didn't dial the wrong number?"

Even if it were unlikely Ami had to be sure. Hypothermia was generally treated before a patient would be allowed to have surgery, but there were cases where it could not be avoided. Operating on a hypothermic patient would be extremely risky though, with a very low success rate. Just the kind of case her mother would take: a challenge to her skills.

The woman on the other end of the line paused, and Ami heard paper rustling as she double-checked the file. "No, it is definitely Mariko. We're giving her oxygen even though her breathing is only slightly irregular. She is still conscious, but she will be held overnight to make sure there is no further trauma."

Ami's mind was in overdrive now, already thinking up all the possible causes for hypothermia, then systematically eliminating them. Her heartbeat was a drum in her ears. She ran over the symptoms in her head again, hands already flying over her desk to grab her essentials.

"Is it possible she's just dehydrated?" Denial was beginning to creep in, but Ami was already too worried to notice. Grabbing up some sentimental items, she crammed them into her bag as well.

"According to her blood work, she's completely healthy. She doesn't remember how she induced the hypothermic response, but it could be she's still groggy from the slowed neural reuptake. She could remember once we get her body temperature back up." Ami nodded even though she knew the other woman couldn't see her. Her fingers paused over the compact, before she slid it into her bag as well. She knew it wasn't professional to become so frantic in a medical emergency, but her concern over her mother was a thing alive.

"Is she able to see visitors?" her voice sounded breathless even to her own ears.

"Not yet. She will be once her pulse stabilizes." Ami nodded again, already cramming her notes on the polymorph substance into the stuffed bag as well.

"Call me as soon as she's stable." She didn't wait to hear a response before putting the receiver down. She'd have to research the polymorphs later, she had a senshi meeting to attend. She could always go over the notes before the meeting, or in the waiting room, or even after visiting her mother. It was difficult for her to prioritize senshi business above her own mother, especially when she was in critical condition; from mysterious circumstances no less. Ami locked the door behind her, heading to the elevator of the apartment complex.

Tokyo General was on the other side of town, however. It would take her at least two hours to get there, and it was in the same direction as the Hikawa Jinja. With any luck, she could summarize her findings for the others in thirty minutes, then head straight for Tokyo General.

"Hold on mom," she whispered to herself as the doors dinged open.

oOoOoOo

"Yeah, can you be believe him? Trying to get me to wait on him hand and foot just because he's got the sniffles," Usagi scoffed. Minako and Makoto were both laughing at the story.

Rei could hear them from behind the screen door, and she took an extra second to regain her composure before pushing it open.

If Usagi was here, everyone had arrived at the temple for the meeting. She wasn't sure she could keep up her stoicism for them though. She'd held herself together as best she could all morning, but now that she stood before the faces of her closest friends, her strength was quickly leaving her again. All she wanted was to find some dark corner where she could keep her pain private, but she knew they would find out from someone else if not her.

"Grandpa has gone on to the next life." A hush fell over their chatter.

The meekest among them was the first to break the pall. "How? I know he was suffering through a cold, but he has always been in good health. Was he sicker than he looked?" Ami asked.

Rei thought back to the morning he'd slipped past her to watch the sunrise, and then the evening before when he'd stayed up to listen to her babble on about Metallia and Death Phantom. It seemed so careless now, and she felt guilt rise up for letting him skip rest for simple pleasures. She flinched, a chink in her armor. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh Rei…" Minako leaned forward to put her hand on top of the priestess', trying to convey her compassion without words. Makoto hugged the black-haired girl too, but Rei didn't react to either of them.

He had been healthy, Ami was sure of it. She had examined him herself when he'd first fallen ill. He may have been getting into his golden years, but even with a virus he still should have been fine with rest and good nutrition. But bringing it up would only undo the thin barrier separating Rei from sinking into a depression. Ami decided she would run a quick scan on his remains after the meeting and processions were over. Remembering herself, she added a note to herself to make it a brief scan.

"My mom is in the hospital, so I can't stay for very long. I will go over all the information I've collected so far before I leave though." Ami saw the silent approval from the other girls in their nods, but Rei remained detached. She might not have realized that Ami had meant her mother was a patient at the hospital, not on duty as a doctor.

"Let's just get down to business, okay?" Rei sat down with the rest of them, curling her hands into tight balls on her lap. "The fire gave me a vision." She left out the time frame on purpose. "There was an image of a dark-haired woman. She had pale skin, and I could feel that she was corrupted by evil. I felt like it was someone we know, someone we trust." Rei sighed. "I couldn't make out her face though."

"Is she the new enemy?"

Rei shrugged. "She could be. The fire didn't tell me much."

"I have some new information from the scans on the polymorph," Ami missed the dark look Rei shot her at interrupting her own data briefing. "The polymorphs are definitely not a natural organism, their DNA is too highly altered from the other species on Earth. The camouflaging is exactly as I first assumed, and the visors will be our only real means to combat that for a while. Their cells are internally impure, which is how they are able to maintain the gelatinous texture. Unfortunately, because of those same cellular corruptions, the polymorph cells do not solidify with cold or liquidize with heat. I haven't been able to get a grasp on how they regenerate yet, but I will go back through the data later and try to find a correlation."

Minako mulled over the information they had on the new enemy. Try as she may, her thoughts kept drifting to the troubles with friends and family they'd all been having. Then she remembered Rei's vision, and immediately she felt like a heel. As leader though, she knew the importance of communication, and so she voiced her concern to the group as diplomatically as she could manage. "I don't want to think it but...first Grandpa Hino, and Shingo, now Ami's mom? All getting sick in the same week? It just doesn't add up." She tried to be optimistic, "But its probably nothing new, just some evil in the hospital, or a mad scientist releasing some deadly virus," her words didn't bring the other's much comfort.

"So our choices are between ANOTHER new enemy, one that can strike with plague instead of physical attacks who is probably human, or a double agent?" Makoto didn't look pleased. "How could any of us do that after all we've been through? Ratting the rest out to this new enemy to save their own skin..." Makoto clenched her fist.

Usagi was silent as the other girl's debated what might be going on. There was only one thing on her mind. When they quieted down, she shared the thought in a tiny voice.

"Luna hasn't come back yet."

Everyone stopped talking. Ami and Makoto looked at Usagi with sympathy, Rei and Makoto just hung their heads.

"You don't think..." Makoto began, but Ami hushed her.

"Its unlikely, but we have to consider the possibility. Luna could have betrayed us. Her human form matches the description Rei gave, dark hair and pale skin." Rei adopted a poker face, not admitting to the different eye color she'd seen.

"That could be half of Japan though," Usagi protested, unwilling to believe that her guardian could have betrayed them. "Dark haired and pale skin is the standard..."

"But what does she have to fear? Surely this enemy isn't any worse than any other we've faced," Makoto pointed out.

"What about her human form?" Minako said, her voice soft. She was glad Artemis wasn't listening in on this meeting. "I know that...Artemis is always thinking about it, wishing he could be human again...What if they convinced her to join them by granting her the form of a human again?"

Nobody had a response to that. Minako looked down.

"I really don't like thinking this way about anyone on our team."

Makoto didn't bother waiting a breath, remembering her earlier suspicions. "It could be Setsuna."

"Her skin is hardly pale..." Minako pointed out.

Makoto waved it off, "Technicalities. She never helps us in our fights, and she keeps too many secrets." No one was brave enough to point out that until a few days ago, Makoto had been keeping secrets of her own.

"She is the guardian of time, I would assume that role alone requires a high degree of secrecy," Ami postulated.

The brunette crossed her arms. "I don't trust her."

"Maybe there is a third party, someone we don't know about, like when we first met Tuxedo Kamen. Someone who has watched us battle and discovered our identities on accident."

"Its possible," said Ami, tapping her chin. "I'll have to run some numbers to see the probability of it compared to any other feasible explanation."

"Hitomi has black hair," Rei said, eyes downcast. Everyone glanced at her. "If she listened in our meetings...she could have..." Rei didn't want to frame Hitomi for this, but if it kept her own name out of their growing pile of suspects, she was willing to point out the possibility.

Ami shook her head. "Hitomi would have to have access to the enemy, and unless she's left the temple in the last few days, its unlikely that she is the woman in your vision." Tapping a few keys on her compact, Ami tucked it back into her bag. "Any number of people match the woman in Rei's vision, and its foolish for us to try and pinpoint someone with certainty without any evidence to draw on beside's pallor and skin tone. If its all right with everyone else, I'd like to get to the hospital now." The other girls gave her their silent agreement, and Ami slipped out the front door to the temple before ducking back in a side entry to scan grandpa Hino's body. With her analysis complete, she went back out and made a beeline for Tokyo General.

As the other girls lingered, Rei stared off into space.

If someone had betrayed them, and cost grandpa his life, there would be hell to pay.

And she would be the demon bringing it.

oOoOoOo

She smelled them before she saw them. Ducking behind a tree trunk, she watched the couple approach her position, hair standing on edge.

She scowled in disapproval when she saw the outfit and makeup Usagi had put on. It was much too provocative and undignified, unfitting for a future queen. She kept her mouth shut though, lest she give away her position to the third figure skulking through the alleyways nearby. She wasn't about to compromise her goal just to lecture Usagi.

Convinced they hadn't seen her, Luna chased after the hooded figure. She made sure to run behind the couple where she would remain undetected. Her loyalty was with this mission until it was completed, protecting the princess was a duty left to her other guardians.

Usagi paused mid-stride, feeling eyes bore into her backside. Eyes narrowed, she turned around searching the crowd. No one seemed to be looking at her or Mamoru. She pursed her lips, she'd been sure she'd felt someone watching her...

"Usako?" Mamoru asked, distracting her.

Noticing his concern she shook her head, "Its nothing." The feeing lingered though, and Usagi took one more paranoid scan of her surroundings.

They made their way to a bistro, where Mamoru escorted Usagi to an outdoor table. Sitting down, a busty waitress arrived to take their orders. Usagi shot her chest a jealous glance before the girl left them alone to put their orders in.

Usagi crossed her arms, pouting. She had dressed up nice and even put on make up and Mamoru seemed...dissatisfied, if anything. He had smiled at the waitress but he had yet to smile at her. He hadn't complimented her once, and his stony silence was more off-putting than ever. She fingered the un-hemmed slit on her skirt, sulking.

"Now I know something is wrong," Mamoru pointed to the untouched basket of bread sitting in front of Usagi.

Azure eyes flicked to the food before her, "You're so mean Mamo-chan," she whined. Shrugging off her negativity, Usagi reached for the bread anyways, wincing as her injured palm rubbed against the rough crust.

"Are you alright?" Mamoru leaned forward, concerned.

Usagi stuffed the bread into her mouth, waving away his worries. "Jub a scrad," she said around a mouthful. Swallowing it, she sipped her water, admiring him from across the table.

"Let me see," he reached for her hand, while Usagi yanked it back to her chest.

"I said it's just a scratch!" She crossed her arms again, a dark cloud descending on her mood. "Why do you have to do that?" She scowled at him.

"Do what?" Mamoru blinked at her, confused by her shift in mood. In his head, he wondered if she was on her cycle, but he was smart enough not to voice the thought.

"You only care about me if I'm hurt." Mamoru looked taken aback.

"Usak-"

"No, don't Usako me." She glared at him. "This was supposed to be a fun date with my boyfriend," she stressed the word, "who I haven't spent time with in two weeks. Bu-"

"You know I have been studying for the MCATs, that's not fair..." he started before Usagi broke in again.

"Its not fair that I only get to see you once every two weeks and when I do see you, you're so consumed by your med school preparation that you don't even notice me." She scowled, "And when you do notice me its only because its an injury or something else about my health. I'm your girlfriend, not your patient." Her face was red like it had been the first time he called her an Odango Atama, but her voice wasn't as loud as it usually was when she was about to have a crying fit. Mamoru took this as a good sign.

"I'm sorry Usako," Mamoru felt more tired than guilty, but he sent her a pleading look nonetheless. "I have been far too busy for a lot of things, including sleep. These MCATs are taking over my life." He ran a hand through his hair. "But I shouldn't have let it get this far. Today is for us, not that, I'm sorry I ruined our date."

Usagi huffed but said nothing, her stiff posture softening. With a sigh she reached for another piece of bread, picking at it for a minute.

She knew, just as he knew, that she was still angry with him.

That didn't lessen her surprise when he pulled out and offered her a fresh red rose. It was the apology in his eyes that told her where her heart would always belong.

She leaned forward for an awkward kiss across the table, the rose held firmly in her uninjured palm.

"Forgiven," she whispered, thumbing the petals.

With a relieved sign, Mamoru leaned back in his chair, taking a moment to examine Usagi. She did look beautiful, as always, but there was something different about her.

"You're wearing makeup," Mamoru noted, tapping his chin. Usagi looked up from breathing in the rose's scent. "You never wear make up." Usagi shrugged, setting the flower down next to her plate.

"I felt like prettying up for you since you have been extra stressed lately." She gave him a sly smile, "Even doctors need a bit of candy every now and then."

The words 'you look better without it' ran through Mamoru's head, but he bit them down in light of their recent spat. Instead he just nodded, taking a sip of his water.

At that moment the waitress returned, laying their meals in front of them. Within a beat Usagi had already picked up her fork and gotten midway through her meal. Mamoru ate slower, relishing the taste of real food after weeks of living on top ramen and instant rice. He was only a few bites in when Usagi finished off her pasta and began eyeing his plate.

With a bemused smile he offered her a bite of chicken on his fork. He didn't have time to blink before the fork was cleared of food. Returning to his food, he ignored it when Usagi stole a few more bites.

He paid for their meal and led Usagi to their next destination, a butterfly conservatory. They caught up on recent events as they walked, and Mamoru felt better now that Usagi was in improved spirits.

After reaching the exhibit, Mamoru purchased two tickets and they headed inside. The door gave a vacuuming whoosh of air as they entered, and Mamoru explained it was air being blown inward to keep the butterflies from escaping. Usagi nodded, already delighted by the variety of tropical plants and butterflies all around.

As she rushed ahead to chase a large violet butterfly, Mamoru approached a woman who was watering some of the plants. "Excuse me," he said, drawing her attention to him. He gave her a charming smile to which she instantly turned all the way around, putting her squirt bottle down.

"How can I help you?" She seemed pleased by the attention, a response Mamoru wasn't unused to. Having failed in her attempted capture, Usagi watched the exchange from behind him with growing envy.

"Are you a lepidopterist? I was wondering about the different varieties in this exhibit."

She looked disheartened, "No, I'm just in charge of maintenance." She gestured to a poster that was pasted to the wall of the entrance. "There is a list of butterflies over there."

"Thank you," Mamoru gave a short bow, moving towards the list, with Usagi lingering a few feet away.

Turning from him, Usagi went back to watching the butterflies. They were colorful and various sizes, but she found herself unable to enjoy them like she had been. Seeing that Mamoru had still not peeled his eyes off the poster to see that the woman he asked for help from was checking him out, Usagi began to wonder why she was even here. She had gone to the effort of dressing nice for this date, and even after expressing how much she missed his affections, Mamoru was still inattentive. She felt her eyes sting with unshed tears. He had enough energy to ask other women about things that did interest him though. With that in mind, Usagi made a decision.

Crunching her ticket in her hand, she left, with Mamoru still unaware.

When he turned back he looked around to see no twin bun braids in sight. Thinking she was still butterfly chasing, Mamoru moved to sit on a nearby bench and watch the insects parade above him. His focus was drawn to a suspended butterfly, wriggling for freedom on the ceiling. A spider's web had snared it, and the creature looked like it was too weak to break free. The scientist in him was too detached to be moved by something as primitive as the food chain, but still a sense of unease flooded through him.

Standing, he looked around again to see if Usagi had returned from her butterfly hunt. Still, no blonde hair was in sight. Closing his eyes, he reached out with his other senses, attempting to pinpoint a location or emotion from his soul mate. Discovering her to be outside the conservatory already, he frowned before following after her.

Jogging, he caught up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Bored already?" He asked, chuckling.

"No I just..." Usagi schooled her features, avoiding eye contact. "I am pretty tired too. I think I might just go home and sleep." Mamoru nodded, releasing her shoulder.

"Do you want a ride?"

"Your car is back at the restaurant, and that's in the opposite direction from my house...I think I'll just walk." Usagi moved away from him, waving over her shoulder with false cheer. "See ya!"

As Mamoru watched her back retreat, the same sense of growing unrest returned.

oOoOoOo

Why she'd let herself get talked into another date, was beyond her. But it had sounded like a good idea at the time, and now here she was, trapped in a dark theatre with the same man she had ditched in a fancy restaurant a few nights prior. Minako let out a heartfelt sigh, and someone behind her shushed her. She scowled into the darkness of the theatre.

In the first ten minutes of this action flick, he'd already spilled some of his soda on her, clumsily tried to clean it, and spilled more on her in the process. By now the film was half over, and he was trying to slip a limb over her head to rest on her shoulder. Minako was having none of that. She slunk away, shrugging off his arm. The thought that he was a hopeless case kept coming back to her.

Someone behind them screamed at a scene, and Minako turned around halfway in interest. Right now was a tame scene given the suspense of the first part of the movie. It was almost a welcome relief to see that there was a strange glimmer in the light from the projector. It gave her the excuse she needed to rush out of the theatre and away from her date.

Slipping in the ladies room, she pressed the all call button on her watch.

Three faces answered Minako's call immediately, a blonde, a brunette and a raven-haired girl. After telling them her location, Minako clicked off and transformed.

Ami hadn't answered her communicator.

Super Sailor Venus re-entered the theatre, just in time to see her date get a scalding hit of steam to the side of his arm. She felt a surge of satisfaction since the man had absolutely ruined her dress, but she squelched it down. His burn would take longer to heal than her clothes would to dry clean.

This polymorph was smaller in size, easily half the height and girth of the previous two. Unlike the previous two, this one seemed to have a physical form to it, that of a biped with two limbs on its upper half. It was still camouflaged against the environment, with two divots where its eyes should have been. The most disturbing difference was the resemblance between its conformation and that of an animal. Whereas the previous polymorphs had been ambiguous blobs, this one looked partway human underneath its wavering outline and gelatinous coating.

"Everyone out!" she called, already fishing in her subspace pocket for the visor Ami had given her. Once it was on, she leveled the intruder with her pointer finger, "Venus Crescent Beam!"

The pinpoint beam of light ricocheted off the polymorph and blasted into a row of seats, carving a hole into one of them. The creature continued to slug forward, throwing off another round of steam at the final couple making their escape. Glancing around to make sure everyone had cleared the room, she summoned more power for another approach, "Crescent Beam Shower!"

Immediately the cascade of light rained down on the polymorph and everything around it. Again, the monster did not seem fazed by the attack, although bits of popcorn and trash dislodged themselves from its body during the assault.

Behind her a light shone through the dark theatre. She didn't turn to see which senshi had joined her, having aid at all was a relief.

Jupiter surveyed the damage, at first confused by the absence of any visible threat. She heard the others clamoring into the theatre behind her. The real trouble was that in the dim lighting of the theatre with the night-vision visor on, it was extremely hard to see.

Jupiter had a bad feeling as soon as she realized just how much of an advantage the polymorph would have in this environment.

"We need to get it outside!" She said, her voice partway drowned out by the gunfire of the cinema's climax, which was still being projected onto the screen in front of them.

"That's where all the civilians are!" Venus argued, dodging a steam blast and landing in a roll behind the polymorph. Her visor fell off as she tumbled, and she let out a curse as she groped the floor in the dark to find it.

Sailor Mars seemed to be idling beside Sailor Moon, who was hesitating to attack since most of her attacks had no effect, and the ones that did were counter productive.

Sailor Jupiter let out a string of vulgarity as the attack singed her side, searing a hole in her uniform. She'd been too focused on arguing with Venus to notice the tiny red blur in her visual field speeding towards her from the humanoid polymorph.

"Mars Firebird Strike!" The attack singed the carpet of the theatre, but did nothing to the creature.

"You need to leave! Now!" Venus protested, upset at the almost injury that Jupiter had taken just for being a bystander.

"I'm just fine, thanks officer," Jupiter brandished herself off, daring to glance down to ensure there was no lasting damage. Her skin was red, but the cloth had absorbed most of the heat and kept it from burning her too bad.

While they were busy, Eternal Sailor Moon was growing impatient. Mars was still on automatic next to her, too distracted by her tragedy to do more than react and shout out basic, and uncoordinated, attacks. Mercury was still nowhere in sight. Taking matters into her own hands, Sailor Moon began to move towards the heat spot on her visor, leveling her tiara at the polymorph.

"Don't even think about it!" Tuxedo Kamen was suddenly beside her, roughly shoving the tiara back on her head. "If you attack it with that, it will just generate another polymorph!"

She pouted, yanking free of him and rushing forward. She delivered a roundhouse kick to the creature with a war cry, only to find her leg lodged in the black goop of what might have been its neck. As gravity began to pull her upper half down, she yanked on the limb, managing to pull it free of the sticky substance. "Yick-"

The polymorph, enraged by the attack, began firing off wild bursts of steam in all directions. Caught in close proximity, Eternal Sailor Moon let out a high pitched scream as the barrage approached.

With the swish of fabric, Tuxedo Kamen dove to her rescue yet again, pulling her to safety from the majority of the blasts. She winched as they landed, her knee would surely bruise. On instinct Tuxedo Kamen gave it a once over. Feeling a bit more self-conscious than usual, she stood up to avoid his scrutiny. She realized it was foolish for her to launch an impromptu assault on the creature, but she'd have felt worse if it had resulted in an injury to herself or the others.

Sailor Mars had watched the exchange through vacant eyes, but seeing Sailor Moon hurt, she launched another slew of flaming arrows into the creature. It roared as boiling liquid spewed out its would-have-been eyes.

"We're all here, lets just finish this!" Venus shouted, taking back up the mantle of leader.

"Where's Mercury?" one of the others called.

"Just surround it! Talk later!"

Following orders, the rest of the senshi formed a circle around the creature, drawing forth their strongest attacks. As they channeled their strongest attacks into the monster all at once, Venus noticed that it was not contracting as quickly as the former foe had. Displeased, she focused more of her energy into the onslaught. It was a grueling minute, but the polymorph shrank as its predecessors had and then expanded into nothingness.

Jupiter heaved a sigh, leaning over and propping her hands on her knees. "That was one tough cookie!" Mars' mind was too far away to throw a witty or sarcastic barb at the girl, and Jupiter looked over at her worriedly as she tugged her visor off.

"Glad its done with. I'm going home." Before anyone could say anything in edgewise, Moon had de-transformed and left. Tuxedo Kamen wasn't far behind.

"Good job guys." Mars' words were hollow, but her voice was more so. Nobody blamed her for her lack of enthusiasm.

Jupiter stood back up, cracking her back as she did. "So where's Mercury?"

Venus shrugged in response, watching the embers from Mars' attack burn themselves out on the upholstery. "She never responded."

Jupiter shrugged back, moving over to guide Mars out of the theatre. "Well, see ya, then." She didn't complain about the burning in her side that continued even after she dropped her transformation. Mars let her transformation slip as well.

While everyone left the scene, Sailor Venus lingered like she had at the last battle. Mercury hadn't been here to see this fight, and Mars had been useless. With the other senshi already gone, she had no one else to verify what she'd seen. Or what she thought she'd seen, she wasn't even sure of herself lately. With the flickering light from the movie, the thermal-imaging visor over her eyes, and

the flashes of power as everyone hurled their attacks, it really was difficult to distinguish things.

But she was sure that the navy fabric in Eternal Sailor Moon's outfit was now a solid black.

oOoOoOo

Something dark and terrifying was approaching her. It drowned the sky and smothered the air, making her skin crawl and turning her heartbeat staccato. Her pulse was like a drum in her ears, pounding as it grew closer still. It surrounded her on all sides, blanketing her in an endless abyss. It stole her vision and hearing, but she could still feel it coming closer, moving faster and faster. She could taste her own fear. Her gut twisted in familiarity, and yet this was somehow different than ever before. It was advancing on all sides, cocooning her inside of it.

She was trapped, with no escape.

Hotaru woke up with a scream, clutching her blankets.

A calming voice broke through her pulsating adrenaline. "Hotaru-chan," unclenching her eyes, Hotaru saw Setsuna sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Setsuna-mama," she breathed, sighing her relief and working to slow her heart rate back to normal.

"How long have you been having nightmares?" Setsuna asked, her face unreadable, but her voice unsurprised.

Hotaru hung her head, hiding her expressive eyes behind raven hair. "This is the first one since the silence came." Hotaru shifted in her blankets, still breathing harder than usual. "It was just like before, Suna-mama, it drowned out my voice," Hotaru looked up her eyes pained, remembering being trapped within herself while Mistress Nine took over. "It cuts into your head and spreads like poison, 'til you can't find your way back."

In the stillness Hotaru thought she saw a flicker of melancholy filter through Setsuna's mask of indifference, before it too was hidden away. Setsuna rested a hand on top of Hotaru's on the bed.

Looking at her, Hotaru could feel the significance of the moment even before Setsuna spoke. "You will always find your way back, Hotaru-chan. That is your gift." Setsuna's lips curled up into a smile. "I brought you something," she admitted, reaching into her purple jacket to pull forth a small amulet. It hung on a thin silver chain, and even in the lightless room Hotaru could make out the size and form. She extended her hand to accept the gift before realizing what it was.

Recognizing the petal shape, she drew back, "Don't worry," Setsuna reassured her, even as Hotaru gave the amulet a wary look, "There are no remnants of Pharaoh 90 anywhere in this system. This necklace is only what it was meant to be, an heirloom from your mother." Setsuna's eyes were hard like the stone they resembled, but she helped fasten the necklace around the smaller girl with a mother's tenderness. Hotaru traced the amulet with her thumb, thoughts of her former life foremost in her mind.

"Nothing stays the same," Setsuna said, eyes locked on some random point on Hotaru's wall. "What once was and what jwill be may echo one another, but the past and future are as fluid as we make them." A sliver of silence passed between them.

Setsuna was always cryptic, but Hotaru could feel that Setsuna was telling her more than she could understand. Confused by the stoic woman's words, but still distracted by her memories, Hotaru ventured a question, "How can the past be fluid? Isn't it already done?" Setsuna would never reveal time's secrets, Hotaru knew, and yet she still felt like in this exchange Setsuna would expose more than ever if she dared to ask.

Her intuition was right, although Setsuna hesitated before answering. "Knowledge and memories from the past shape our present, which shapes the future," she explained. Hotaru pondered it for a moment before giving a grudging nod.

"You make it sound as if we can change the past by changing the present..." Setsuna did not respond for another moment, only continued to stare at the same fixed point on the wall. Hotaru wondered if she should keep pressing the woman for more information, or if she should satisfy herself with the few wisdoms the woman had already released to her.

Setsuna's voice was soft when she spoke again, "Your memories of that time, they are burdensome. They wear at your resolve like stones tied to your feet, dragging down your self-confidence and chipping away your hope for a brighter future." Turning to face her foster daughter, Hotaru felt herself swimming in those ancient eyes framed within such a youthful face. "Memories are what we make of them. You see your actions then as a failure, something you would not repeat if given the option. But in reality, it was a necessary evil, and you protected everyone else at the expense of yourself. Even if you did not succeed in utilizing it in time, your determination now to never repeat such an occurrence makes those memories invaluable." Hotaru palmed the necklace, looking down at it.

"How can you say that, even knowing what I did, and might have to do again?" Hotaru clenched her fist around the jewelry, her doubts outweighing Setsuna's support.

Setsuna looked at Hotaru again, a faint smile on her face. "You are very different now than you were in those days." Setsuna seemed to withdraw into herself before continuing, "You and I have more power as senshi than any of the others, but it is not always necessary to utilize that power to accomplish our ends." Hotaru couldn't help but notice that Setsuna had omitted any mention of the responsibilities that accompanied both of their roles. Setsuna leaned forward to click on a lamp, and Hotaru blinked at the sudden harsh light. Setsuna extended her palm to rest on top of Hotaru's clenched fist. "Your greatest power though, is in who you have become, not who you were. We all have another power inside us, and it is limitless." Hotaru had the impression that Setsuna might be quoting someone, before her eyelashes fell down over the garnet orbs and the spell that had been woven over Hotaru broke.

"Setsuna-mama," Hotaru whispered, gathering the taller woman up in thin arms. "I'm scared," she confessed.

Setsuna stroked her hair, holding the girl close. "Everyone is scared." She eased Hotaru back onto her pillow, and Hotaru stopped hugging her as she sat up straight again. "However, we are senshi, and we must conquer our fear to create the best future."

Violet eyes glittered in the darkness as Hotaru watched her. To Setsuna, her childlike nature was gone in that moment. "I do not fear death, it is a part of me." Setsuna knew, even without words, that she was speaking now to the solider and not the girl. She knew what Hotaru wanted to express, and she reached out to put one hand on Hotaru's arm.

"I know what you are afraid of," she said, touching the pendant that hung around Hotaru's neck. Her voice was laden with regret. "But you may be the only one among us strong enough to face it." Setsuna closed her eyes, letting out a slow breath.

Hotaru lowered her head, her words but a butterfly's whisper. "I know."

"But enough of that." Setsuna stood up, motioning for Hotaru to follow her. "Michiru and Haruka are waiting for you," her eyes twinkled, "and I think they have a surprise in store."

Hotaru brightened, eagerly trailing along behind the older woman, her nightmare and fears forgotten amidst her zeal. "What is it? Give me a hint Setsuna-mama!"

As they entered the quaint foyer to the apartment, Hotaru's question was answered by a fuzzy sensation at her feet. Looking down, she saw a tiny creature running in frenzied circles around her legs, sniffing at her and licking her skin.

"A PUPPY!" She squealed, bending over to scoop up the ball of fur and hold it close to her chest. It was a newborn animal from a local shelter, and it looked like some mixture of spaniel and setter. It couldn't have been more than a few months old, especially given its diminutive size. It had an energetic personality, and had melted Haruka's iron heart from when they'd first gone to see it, buried beneath a bit of scruff from living on the streets. It was the perfect companion for their little girl, especially after Michiru had washed and fed it.

Haruka and Michiru were watching Hotaru from their position on the sofa, parental pride on both their faces at having pleased their child. "Thank you so much Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa!"

"You're very welcome, firefly." Michiru knew that Hotaru was disappointed over having to move back to Japan and delay getting her license and first car, but Setsuna's idea of getting her a different present to make up for the loss had been truly genius. She set the Aqua Mirror down on the table, more interested in the scene unfolding before her than the polymorph battle she had just witnessed with Haruka through the mirror.

"She always thanks you first," Haruka mock griped, still smiling as she watched Hotaru and puppy entertain themselves.

"She just loves me more," Michiru sassed, enjoying the teasing game. Haruka slipped an arm around her shoulder.

"I think she loves that puppy more than both of us," Haruka pointed out, watching as Hotaru began to roll around on the floor with the creature attempting to jump up and lick her face.

"Ew no frenchies!" Hotaru squeaked, wiping her tongue with her hand, still laughing.

Setsuna took a seat beside the two, smirking. "Does the landlord know about this new member to the family?" Michiru blanched, and Haruka looked embarrassed. "I thought not. Would you like me to work my 'magic' on him?"

Haruka laughed, Hotaru's pleasant mood raising her spirits. "You don't have to Setsuna, we could buy and sell this complex if we really wanted to..."

"But then you'd have to go back to the circuit," Michiru pointed out, crossing her arms. "And I would have to start touring again. Our pockets aren't bottomless Haruka." Haruka looked sheepish, Michiru was in charge of both their finances, but she hadn't said that they might be reaching their limits. "Besides, we have another mouth to feed now. We would be very grateful if you could...help things along Setsuna."

Hotaru was locked in a game of tug of war with the canine over a chew toy, and she was too enraptured by the puppy to be listening to anything they were saying. She was talking to it as they played, and Haruka gathered that she'd named the critter already.

The dark haired woman nodded, tipping her head to both of them before standing to leave. Hopefully she would reach the property manager before the animal started making enough noise to call attention to itself.

Michiru leaned back with a satisfied sigh, resting her head on Haruka's shoulder. "Mayu, huh?"

"It is a strange name," Michiru agreed.

Haruka gave her a wry look, glancing back up to Hotaru. "We'll never be able to get her to sleep now." Michiru smiled.

"Hotaru or the dog?"

"Both."

"They'll wear each other out," Michiru offered in consolation.

"Not early enough for me to still have time to wear you out," Haruka grumbled.

"Oh perish the thought," Michiru teased. "Besides, we could always slip away and let Setsuna tuck her in tonight."

Haruka gave a wolfish grin, "I like the sound of that."

oOoOoOo

By the time Makoto made it back to her apartment, she could already feel that something was wrong. The burning in her side had turned into an ache, and then stabbing pain, which had spread through her lower midsection.

Artemis knew what was going to happen before she did, he could smell the blood over the fragrance of her many potted flowers. Standing up, he hopped up into an open windowsill where the fresh breeze would blow away the scent, closing his eyes. There was nothing he could do for her as a cat, and he wasn't sure she would even want him to do anything for her if he were human. He and Makoto had never bonded very much, but nevertheless he kept one ear up in case she called for help.

She'd been inactive ever since first taking the pregnancy test, giving up her akido classes and even broken her morning exercise routine. She knew she was at a higher risk than most women given her active lifestyle, but Makoto never thought that simply attending a few senshi battles would be enough to push her body to this.

She sat hunched over the toilet, dimly aware that she was throwing up as the pain cascaded over her again. She let out a low moan, hands clinging to the bowl to steady herself. "Nooo..." Another contraction hit and she swallowed down more bile. "No god please nooo..." something wet and sticky was sliding down her legs and in that moment she realized it was already too late. She was going through menstruation, which meant she would probably lose the baby.

She sat helpless in the bathroom for hours that felt like days, drenched in sweat and blood. She was able to stumble to the cabinet and reach for a painkiller, although even after taking six she could still barely move. Dragging herself into the shower, she peeled off her ruined clothes. Switching the water onto scalding, she hunched over and tried to stifle her sobs. She watched the blurry red swirl go down the drain, her tears lost in the stream.

She had been in the shower for two hours when Minako arrived back at the apartment. It had taken her longer to get back from the fight since she and her date had both been interviewed for the media that arrived after the attack. There wasn't substantial damage to the auditorium despite their fight, but thinking back on the damage to the grocery mart made Minako's conscience hang heavy. She'd ditched her date, again, and returned to help the volunteer clean-up crew get sift through the wreckage. Picking up the spare key from inside the porch light, Minako let herself in, curious when she didn't see Makoto anywhere in the apartment.

Hearing the front door open, Makoto pulled herself free of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. Returning to the small mess she'd made by the toilet, she waited for another contraction to hit. Instead the bathroom door opened.

"Mako-chan!" Minako said in surprise before it transformed into shock, seeing the smears of red everywhere and the almost naked brunette. Embarrassed but now concerned as well, Minako reached to turn the shower off, cringing as the water burned her. "There was steam coming up from under the door and the picture you had hanging on the wall was curling...so I came to see if you were okay," Minako defended, bending down next to Makoto. "Aren't pregnant women not suppose to get their periods?" Makoto didn't answer.

The brunette's hair was wet and clung to her very red and wrinkled skin, Minako deduced that she had been underneath that boiling water for quite a while. The towel was rimmed in blood, both the shower and small pool of it that Makoto was currently squatting in reinforced what Minako had already guessed. Makoto's eyes were red and puffy, and she looked like she might be ill at any moment. Before the thought was even finished, Makoto dry heaved over the basin, and Minako reached forward to pull her strands of wet hair back. Unsure whether to call for help or just stay and try to soothe the hurt Makoto was no doubt in, Minako settled on the latter. There was probably nothing that could be done at this point to save the baby anyway.

"Here," the blonde picked up a trash can, stepping back to open the bathroom door wider and help Makoto out. Makoto seemed unable to carry her own weight, and Minako grabbed another towel so that Makoto could take a few breaks as they made their way to her bedroom at a snail's pace without staining her floors. When Minako had helped Makoto to get situated into her bed, she went back to the bathroom in search of lady's products, and came out with a few more towels as well. Setting them both down by the bedside, Minako went to the dresser to look for clean clothes and something to put around Makoto to stem the leaking blood. The towel she was using was already too saturated to use for much longer.

"I'm calling Ami," Minako said, dropping the garments on the side of the bed. "Do you want me to call an ambulance too?" Makoto shook her head, looking haggard. Minako could see fresh tear tracks on her face.

"Don't call Ami," Makoto tried not to sniffle, but failed. "There isn't anything anyone can do. Please just go," she whispered, holding a blanket to her chest. She looked so vulnerable, so unlike her usual self, that it took Minako an extra second to process the request.

Surprised, Minako didn't speak for a long moment. She wasn't sure what to say in a situation like this, and her priorities were at war. She wanted to comfort Makoto and get her anything she asked for, but what little she knew about pregnancy told her that miscarriages were not safe for the mother.

Minako drew a deep breath in, eyes older than her body watching Makoto. "What if it's serious? You could die."

Makoto looked at her, eyes fierce. "It IS serious, my baby could be dying." Her grip on the blanket was so hard her knuckles were turning white. Reigning in her outburst, Makoto looked down again, still crying. "Just please leave me alone."

Minako picked up Makoto's communicator from the dresser, setting down on her bedside. She snatched a box of tissues to place near her too, before finally turning to leave. Once she was back in the living room, she pressed the blue button of her own communicator, sending up a prayer that this time she would get an answer. Belatedly, Ami's face appeared. Minako spoke in a hushed tone. "Ami, how dangerous is a miscarriage to the mother?"

Ami's face was whiter than normal, but Minako didn't notice in her rush for assurance that she wasn't endangering Makoto. "It has a low fatality rate, usually due to-" Minako didn't wait to hear the rest.

She clicked off the communicator, ignoring Ami's insistent urgings to explain what was going on. Turning back around, she searched the living room for a white lump.

Seeing that Artemis was watching her from the window, she motioned him to come over. As he did, she stuffed her few unpacked belongings back into her suitcase. She closed the lid and headed for the door with it in tow. Scooping up the teddy bear she'd bought earlier she felt bitter tears gathering in her eyes. Scrubbing them away she set the toy down on Makoto's coffee table, feeling more foolish than ever.

Makoto wasn't ready to deal with others yet, and Minako would give her the privacy she deserved. When the time came that she needed her friends to shoulder some of her grief, Minako would be the first one there. But right now, Makoto was in a bad state, and clearly wanted to be left alone. And given the recent fight with her parents, Minako took the rejection even harder.

Shutting the door behind her, Minako closed her eyes, wondering where she should go now.

oOoOoOo

Minako wandered through Juubun Park, aimless in her quest for a destination. However, the sun was dipping lower in the sky, and Artemis was still recovering, so she knew she couldn't keep walking in circles for much longer. Another day, another failed date, and another rejection from the ones she lived with. What a day.

Artemis interrupted her thoughts, "You should go home." Minako glanced at him, focusing on his face rather than the uneven fur beginning to grow over his burned side.

"Why, it's not like they miss me," Minako said, sitting down at a nearby bench. She pulled out her cell phone, skimming through missed calls and text messages. "They haven't tried to contact me once since I left." Her voice was even from her practice concealing her emotions, but it was still bitter to Artemis' ears.

"That doesn't mean they don't miss you. Some people are just too stubborn to put pride aside and admit they were wrong." Artemis hopped up onto the bench with her, settling himself in her lap. "Deep down, you know they care about you."

Minako thought back to the fight earlier in the week with her mother, and the cookies she had made for her afterwards in apology. Pressing her lips together she stroked Artemis' fur absently. "They don't want me there though. Dad thinks I'm a whore and mom just wants to fight with me all the time." Minako lowered her head, letting her bangs hide the tears gathering in her eyes. "If they care about me, they're better at acting than I am."

Artemis nudged her hand with his head. "They do care about you, Minako." Standing up, he turned to face her again. "Why not go home? The worst that could happen is that you'd run away again." Artemis gave her a weak smile, "But this time you've already packed."

With an amused smile, Minako nodded, scooping Artemis up and placing him on her shoulder. "You're right. I shouldn't wallow. If they want to yell at me again, I'll just leave." With her mind set, Minako began rolling the suitcase behind them, heading home.

From the end of the street, Artemis heard the first sounds of a fight. His ears perked up, but knowing that Minako wouldn't be able to hear it at this distance he kept his mouth shut. As they approached Minako's house, the shouting match grew louder, until the blonde stopped outside the door. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." Artemis didn't want to agree with her, but given the sheer volume being projected from behind the doorway he couldn't help but feel this encounter would only upset Minako further. Swallowing down her emotions and summoning up her courage, Minako opened the door, stepping inside.

Her mother loomed at the kitchen table, paperwork strewn across it, her father at the other end of the table, an angry flush coloring his pale skin. A shattered plate lay at the floor next to the window, which had a crack Minako had never noticed before. They both seemed oblivious to her entry, continuing to scream at one another.

"I don't care if you bought the damn car, I need transportation to and from work! How else am I going to pay this ridiculous settlement rate you want!"

"Excuses! You could easily afford another car; you just want to leave me penniless!"

"What do you need the car for, so you can go shopping and waste even more of my money? Or is it so you can visit your side dish anytime you please? You did enough of that without divorcing me!"

The words drilled into Minako's brain like knives. "Divorce?" She asked, her soft voice louder than their bickering. Suddenly aware of her presence, they both turned to look at her.

"Look what the cat dragged in," her father quipped, clearly nonplussed by her intrusion.

"She's your daughter too!" Her mother screamed at him, slamming her hands down on the table, papers shuddering from the impact. "Take some responsibility!"

"Oh I think you're going to be holding me accountable for enough things already," he remarked, holding up a thick stack of paper.

"Really...?" Minako asked herself, feeling the weight of the past week rest firmly on her shoulders. "Are they really sitting here screaming at each other after not knowing where I was for almost two days?" Artemis gave her a sympathetic look. This night was going from bad to worse. "Well, I guess we're through then." She turned on her heel, heading towards the door.

"Don't you dare!" Her mother yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Minako's back. "Don't you walk away from me, young lady! We are your family!"

"Some family..." Minako muttered, opening the front door. "I've seen dogs with better behavior."

Her father made a sound of outrage, but Minako cut off any arguments that were about to ignite. "You clearly don't want me here, and I don't want to be here. All we ever do is fight, and if you guys are going to divorce anyway than why should I stick around? I'm not wasting one more tear on you two." Minako walked out the door, ignoring the cries and threats coming from her parents.

They followed her out onto the porch as she moved away from them, but she kept her heart defiantly closed to their lies and cries. Her mother was still screaming, demanding she stay. And her father was threatening her, yelling something about the order of a family.

Closing the gate behind her, she left her parents behind.

She walked into the night, aimless again. Turning to Artemis, who had fallen asleep on her shoulder an hour after the fight, she decided against waking him up just to serve as a confidant. She knew of one other place where family had fallen onto hard times, and so she headed there.

When she finally finished climbing the many steps to the Hikawa Jinga with her bag of belongings, she rapped on the paper door, expecting Yuuichirou or Hitomi to answer. Instead, Rei slid the door open, looking three times more worn than she had that day. Her eyes were puffy, her nose was red and if her entire body weren't swallowed within her robes, Minako would have seen how gaunt she looked as well.

"Rei-chan..." Minako embraced her friend, and Rei returned the embrace with robotic ease. "May I come in?" Rei nodded, and Minako stepped into the foyer with her suitcase.

"I know its late-"

"You didn't wake me up." Minako closed her mouth, deciding to try a different approach.

"I thought you would like some company tonight." Minako gave her a dull version of her usually megawatt smile.

Rei shrugged, "I have Yuuichirou, and Hitomi to keep me company." Her words weren't unkind, but Minako knew that Rei's emotions were buried beneath this impassive facade.

"Aren't they asleep by now?" Rei shrugged again. Minako couldn't help feeling out of place, both with Rei's disconcerting attitude and how unwelcome she felt at a shrine that had been her second home growing up. "Do you mind if I crash here?" Rei seemed to blink out of her stupor, eyes zeroing in on Minako's suitcase.

"A bit." Rei seemed to have even less patience than usual. Still, she stepped to the side to let Minako enter the shrine.

"I'm sorry to ask, but my parents were having another fight and I didn't feel like Makoto wanted me at her place right now."

Rei's spark of interest was back at this new information, if a bit damp from her emotional day. "You've been staying at Makoto's? Doesn't she live in a micro-apartment?"

Minako shifted uneasily. "I guess so, she let me stay on the couch. I didn't know where else to go." Minako bit her lip, letting out a sigh. "I know I must be terrible for coming here, I know you're still hurting. I just thought that we could both use some family right now." She plucked the sleeping Artemis from her shoulders and set him down on a cushion.

Rei couldn't help being touched by Minako's earnest confession, even though she was still fighting her way out from behind a wall of sorrow. "I could use a sister right now," Rei agreed, wrapping Minako in a hug.

The display of affection was off-putting to Minako. She had seen Rei physically abuse others in ire countless times, but she had only rarely seen Rei hug someone else. Nevertheless, she hugged Rei back with equal warmth.

"Would you like some tea?" Rei offered, helping Minako with her bags. Once she was settled, Minako turned her attention back to Rei.

"How are you holding up?" She could already see the evidence for how poorly Rei had been faring despite her efforts to hide it earlier, but she wanted to hear it from the source.

"I can't sleep," she admitted, face tense. "I've been crying myself into unconsciousness, and there are chunks of time where things are happening that I can't recall. Like this," She held up a stack of paperwork, which looked like a legal document. "Its grandpa's will," she answered the question on Minako's face, "but I have no idea how it got here, or who brought it. The last thing I can remember clearly was the vision I had the night he..." Rei seemed to choke on her words, and Minako reached out put a hand Rei's shoulder. "That night. Yuuichirou has been very sweet to me the whole time, although I think he's in as deep a pain as I am. He won't show it, proud man." Rei sighed, shaking her head. "But there are even gaps of time with him that I don't quite recall. It's so hard to focus on anything other than the fact he's... he's gone..." Rei drifted off, but Minako quickly distracted her.

"You had another vision? Was it the same one?"

Rei's guilty expression showed that she hadn't meant to reveal information about the vision at all. "It was just...another vision. You know, lots of evil and the usual."

Now suspicious, Minako pressed her for more information. "What happened in it?" Rei closed her eyes, trying to dredge up the full vision.

"I was somewhere dark. There was a feeling like loss... or regret..." Rei swallowed the words, 'it felt like I feel now.' "It was extremely cold, wherever it was, and my hands were on fire. Or, they were being burnt by something, maybe not fire, I'm not sure. I saw a face but, I couldn't really make it out," Rei lied. "But it ended with the same sense of betrayal."

Minako felt her blood running cold at the implication of this recurring vision. "Betrayal, then…who…?"

Rei's dark hair swayed as she shook her head, "I have no idea. Usually the fire shows me images, like a movie or a flipbook. This vision was different, it was almost entirely tactile. I got a few flashes of color, but for the most part the story it told was through emotions."

Minako pondered the words, sipping the tea. Deciding she didn't have any answers, she settled for suggesting a senshi meeting. Rei tentatively agreed. After leaving a quick message on their phones, Minako turned back to Rei.

"So what's all this about you and Yuuichirou?" Rei flushed the color of her element. "Where is he anyways?" Rei shrugged. "He's probably just exhausted from watching over you," Minako cooed, the devilish matchmaker emerging at the opening. "I mean, he's been checking on you every few hours just to make sure you're doing all right..." Rei swatted her arm, already falling victim to an extended love-life interrogation with the blonde.

In a room further down the hall, an outdated TV had been left on and was flashing various colors of light across the paneled flooring. A newscaster was midway through a report on the Justice Killings.

"Another body washed up on the Yokohama shores today, and has been IDed as Nakamada Kaito, a former crime boss recently released on parole." The increased light from the picture of his face on the screen revealed a body lying prone on the Hikawa Jinja floor. "While police are still unsure of suspects for these murders, they say that this relocation of a body signals that the perpetrator may be escalating in his or her crimes. Police are urging anyone who may have information to call the number to their hotline." The number flickered on, and the bright red glare bathed the room in an eerie glow. Illuminated in the darkness was the head attached to the limp form, none other than Kumada Yuuichirou.

AN: Feedback is appreciated, criticism is cherished. Thanks to MGray again for beta reading this lengthy chapter. I hope those of you who read through the original fanfic are favoring this rewritten version(now that I've finally reached some of the new scenes!), and the rest of you are enjoying this crazy ride. Only two chapters left!


	4. Descent

She was rooted to the spot, standing somewhere, but she knew it was somewhere familiar. She was out of her own body, and she could see herself spinning, spiraling through the air. The world was a kaleidoscope of movement and color. It happened in slow motion, she knew she would soon hit the ground and yet she couldn't stop her momentum as she fell. Her skin felt exposed and cold, and there was something sickly soft wrapped around her in a parody of clothing. Everything was fading, her vision, her senses. More frightening than anything else was the pressure preventing her from moving; from wailing her terror or even breathing as everything was swallowed into nothingness. As the world began to ebb into shadow she tried, frantic and petrified, to cry out, but her words and her sight were consumed in the same endless darkness.

Once again she drifted in the nightmarish abyss, isolated and lonely. She had seen her friends only seconds before, witnessed their gathering energies even. Now she couldn't see anything but night. Her limbs felt heavier than normal, but she took a step anyways, fear propelling her motion. The force that had bound her had released her, and she stumbled at the sudden shift before righting herself again. She was lost in this black sea, but she could feel herself again, hear her ragged breaths stark against the silence. Desperate, she screamed for help, for anyone or anything. But she received no reply, and the thought of being trapped in this place sent a chill through her. Assuming fetal position, she rocked herself in a vain effort to ward off the cold slicing through her. She was so very alone...

Just when she'd almost given up hope, her sight returned and she saw her friends again, albeit vague. There was a hood hanging over her vision, blocking out the edges and obscuring things in shadow. The image before her triggered shock and deja vu, but she couldn't remember where she'd seen it before, only that she never wanted it to see it again.

Her lover was lying face down on the ground, his cape shredded and his sword lodged in his flesh. A thick blotch of red surrounded the weapon, sliding down his armor and across the earth with serpentine grace. As a pool began to form she tried to look away, but found herself once again paralyzed. Her heart was in her throat, her breathing hitched. She could feel her soul writhing like a tortured animal.

The orange senshi, her friend, was drawing up power. She watched in fascination as the time-tested love-me chain appeared, which turned to horror as it was flung around her. Caught in its stranglehold, she began to struggle, betrayal burning like a lance through her. Turning she saw the blue, green, and red senshi, all in offensive posture as they prepared to launch their own slew of attacks towards her. She tried to tell them to stop, to plead or beg with her voice or eyes, but their faces remained unmoved.

Her closest friend was holding an elegant bow, notching an arrow in its belly. With grim precision she aimed the arrow at her heart, and again she felt her heart constrict. The arrow came alive with light, holy fire purifying it and damning her. She saw her mouth move, that classic face turn towards the blue senshi, but she couldn't hear what she said. But it only lasted a second, and in the next moment the arrow was hurtling towards her, air rent in half as it rushed towards her. It was so bright, so hot she could feel it burning her even before it hit.

With precious milliseconds left to untangle herself, she threw all her effort into breaking the heart-linked chain. The orange senshi tightened her grip, restricting her movements completely and letting the energy in the binding links bite into her skin. White hot pain sliced through her as the arrow hit, before Usagi bolted up, panting and eyes wide.

Feeling hunted, she pierced the darkness of her bedroom by clicking on her lamp, turning all the way around in bed before she was satisfied no one was in her room or trying to kill her. She held a hand up to her eyes, rubbing them and cursing her sleeping mind for playing tricks on her. The feeling of imminent peril did not pass for several minutes, and even after another 360 sweep she still couldn't shake the idea that her own senshi were going to jump out of the closet and murder her. Still breathing heavy, she laid back down, gathering her blankets closer. Reaching for her pillows, she built a barricade around herself, clutching her favorite stuffed toy so hard she could feel the fabric straining.

In her head she replayed the dream, telling herself again that it was just a dumb nightmare, and that she was being silly to give it so much thought. As she tried to recall more of it, she began to forget it as well, and soon it was almost entirely lost to her. Relieved that the memory was fading, and the desperate fear with it, she released her death grip on the bunny, moving a pillow back under her head. With only a faint vestige of it remaining, she settled back into sleep.

When she awoke hours later to the incessant beeping of her communicator, all she could remember was that she'd had a horrible nightmare. All details and residual emotions from the dream had faded with the stars, and Usagi was immediately distracted from trying to drag those memories back up by the conversation on the communicator. The sun was already high in the sky, but since it was still break, Usagi felt no impulse to rise from her warm barricade of pillows and blankets. She listened, still only half awake. The words she was hearing grabbed her attention though.

"...ambulance...need you here, right away!" Usagi forced the sleep away, trying to recall the first half of the sentence. It sounded like Minako's voice.

"Wait- where do I need to go?"

"Hikawa Jinja, and hurry up!"

Her fear rose at the dial tone on the other end. She wouldn't be getting anymore answers until she reached the shrine it seemed. She thought to try to call her back or use her communicator, but if she had already hung up on her once it probably wouldn't work.

Tripping her way out of bed, she changed clothes and rushed out the door.

oOoOoOo

Hotaru played tug-of-war all night with the puppy, thankfully keeping it from crying itself to sleep like puppies are prone to.

That is how they found her the following day, curled up on the floor with Mayu tucked up in her arms.

Michiru held out a hand to stop Haruka from flipping the television on. She pointed to the pair sleeping on the floor, giving Haruka her 'isn't that adorable?' face.

Haruka looked at the pair, grunted, and then moved to make herself some coffee. "Too early for cute," she muttered.

Michiru poked her in the side, before grabbing a blanket and kneeling down beside Hotaru to drape it over them. Mayu shifted at the change, yawning and opening up large puppy eyes to regard her. Michiru held a finger to her lips, but Mayu didn't know sign language yet. She yipped in greeting, crawling out from under Hotaru's arm to paw at Michiru, a black ribbon tied around one of her ears.

"Hmm...uh...wha?" Hotaru peeped one groggy eye open. "So bright in here," she mumbled, trying to shield her face with the blanket.

"That's 'cause its midday, pumpkin." Haruka had a decidedly mischievous glint in her eyes as she approached the girl, holding a cup of water in her hands.

"'Ruka, you're so cruel," Michiru stole the glass from the taller woman, setting it down on the counter. "She's just tired from staying up too late with Mayu." Haruka's left eye twitched at the weird name. Luckily Hotaru was already going back asleep, and she didn't see it. "Why don't you just take her back to her room and let her nap a bit longer." Michiru stood as the kettle went off, heading to the kitchen to prepare the coffee.

Haruka acquiesced, wrapping Hotaru up with infinite care and then folding her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Michiru tried not to laugh at the picture they made.

Entering Hotaru's room, Haruka deposited her cargo onto the bed.

Hotaru's room had always struck Haruka as dreary, but then again, Hotaru was a very complex child.

She had always been private, sequestering herself in her room with her multitude of lamps. Lamps that were meant to bring artificial light into the room with thick drapes to blot out the harsh sun. She was like a wraith, veiled in never-ending night where others could not see her.

Sighing, she brushed a lock of her daughter's raven hair from her eyes while she slept. Her room did suit her though, the firefly's glow of the antique lamps casting shadows about her blackened room. They danced to an eerie parody of puppetry on Hotaru's possessions, both ominous and soothing. Hotaru wouldn't stay young forever, and sooner or later, she was going to be faced with burdens beyond her abilities.

But for now, she was just Haruka's little girl, tuckered out from romping around too long with the new addition to their family. Haruka stood in the doorway a moment longer, basking in the moment.

She snuffed out the firefly's glow with the flip of the light switch.

She wasn't sure how many more days like these there would be after the battle they'd watched through the Aqua Mirror last night.

The polymorph foe didn't look all that menacing to Haruka, but the disorder amongst the senshi's ranks sure did. They were weak, failing to hold up their own weight, much less support one another. She knew that if they were thrust into a significantly dangerous battle, they would all fall together like a house of cards. It was a blasphemy on the title of senshi, and infuriating to the side of Haruka who still resented being uprooted from their home in Canada.

She wanted to keep her family out of it, namely, Michiru and Hotaru. But Setsuna and her damnable clairvoyance were always there to shatter their dreams before they'd even been realized.

"You're depressed today," Michiru commented, handing Haruka a cup of coffee as she reentered.

Haruka took a swig before answering, "You know I'm no good without this stuff," Haruka dragged in another gulp. "And I miss home."

Michiru didn't look very sympathetic. "Isn't home where the heart is? This apartment was the same one we had during our Mugen years..."

The thought soured Haruka's already dour mood, "Wonderful memories those are. Its always like this, we set up somewhere and then in comes Setsuna again, and there goes our slice of happiness."

Michiru scoffed. "You are depressed today." She poured Haruka a refill. "Well, if it brightens your mood any, neither of us has anything to do for the next few hours. She gestured to the mirror still resting on the foyer table, "I have it on the best authority."

Haruka gave her a wicked grin, "Turns out I'm not that tired after all."

Michiru smirked, "I thought not." When Haruka reached to loop her body within her arms, Michiru shied away with a teasing smile.

"Not so fast. I'm still waking up."

"Fast is more fun though," Haruka pouted. Michiru stifled a laugh. Haruka paused, listening to the silence again. "The winds are restless," she admitted, wrapping Michiru in her embrace as if to shelter her from them.

"The ocean has been roaring for days," Michiru agreed, tilting her head back into the crook of Haruka's neck. "I can barely hear its song; it has grown so chaotic these past few weeks."

Haruka buried her face in Michiru's teal locks, "Why couldn't we just keep her away from all this?"

Michiru shook her head, loosening herself from Haruka's hold. "She had to grow up sometime, and if what Setsuna says is-"

"Damn what Setsuna says," Haruka folded her arms in front of her chest. "She should sell out her own child for the future she wants, not ours."

"It isn't for us to decide, 'Ruka. Our princess is the most important. Hotaru would have taken her place beside us in battle another time, another place, even if we kept her hidden from the world for a few more years, because she believes in our princess too." Haruka's brows pulled down in a frown.

"I know all that, and I do believe in the princess…but Hotaru deserves a childhood."

"And I deserve a raise," Michiru quipped, taking the blonde's hand in her own. "But life isn't always fair."

"Well," her grey eyes held a devious glint, "I can't give you a raise, but I think its about time you got a bonus." She leaned in to seal the words with a kiss.

oOoOoOo

She could hear the sirens as she approached the temple. It galvanized her into a run, and as she turned the corner she saw an ambulance seated at the base of the steps, a stretcher being carried down them.

Usagi could hear Rei screaming from the top, clawing at the air. Two figures were restraining her, one blonde and one with raven hair. It was hard to make out faces from her distance, but she guessed the blonde was Minako.

Usagi took the steps three at a time, slowing as she came close to the stretcher. "What's going on?" The paramedics ignored her, continuing down the steps. When she was close enough, she made out the mop of messy brown hair at the top of the stretcher.

"Yuuichiriou..." she breathed, mouth parted in shock.

Running up the second half of the steps, she saw that Rei was still desperately trying to free herself from the other girls' grip, screaming and raving. "Let me go! This is my only chance to repay him for staying by me all week!"

Usagi's eyes softened at the plea. It was uplifting to know that despite recent events, Rei was still Rei. And it was just like her to never admit to her own feelings.

"Rei stop fighting us!" Minako was hanging onto her just fine, but Hitomi looked like she was straddling a bucking bronco. "He needs a doctor!"

"He just needs a good kick in the ass, he'll be fine." Rei continued to beg, still trying to fight her way free. Minako let out a grunt as Rei elbowed her in the gut. Usagi wasn't sure if Rei was convincing them or herself with the words.

"Rei-chan, what happened?"

Minako answered for her since Rei was still too busy struggling to notice the new arrival, "Yuuichirou wouldn't wake up this morning. We tried everything; Rei even threw a ward on him." Minako was failing in the attempt to conceal her amusement. She sombered again, "Something's wrong with him though, and they said they needed to check his responsiveness and do a toxic screening to determine if it's drug-induced or not."

Usagi's eyes widened. She had never seen or heard of Yuuichirou abusing drugs.

"He doesn't do drugs!" Rei answered her unspoken question, still trying to wretch free from Minako. The ambulance and paramedics were already gone, and Hitomi had let go immediately, but Minako seemed to be using Rei as a human teddy bear. "Release me!"

Sheepish at having continued to cling, Minako let the priestess go. "Whew! She may look sickly but this one's still kicking."

Rounding on her, Rei hissed in a deadly tone, "Sickly?"

Minako waved her off with her hands, "Just, ah, tired. You know." This seemed to appease Rei and she went back to checking her arms for nonexistent bruises.

"He does party a lot, he could be doing a lot of things you don't know." Hitomi tapped her chin, unaware of the building ire on Rei's face.

"HE IS NOT ON DRUGS!" Rei exploded, looming over Hitomi. Frightened, the younger girl shrunk away, as Usagi and Minako tried to calm Rei again.

Usagi watched Rei scowl before she turned sharp eyes onto the two who had restrained her.

"Who called them?" she asked. Her voice was monotone but her eyes were tumultuous. Minako could tell she was holding back her wrath.

No one said anything.

"WHO CALLED THEM!" Rei screamed again, turning wild eyes on her friends. Usagi took an involuntary step back.

"I did," came a tiny voice from Hitomi.

"Leave this temple," Rei ordered, "And don't ever come back."

Her eyes were watering, "But...Rei-chan..."

"I SAID LEAVE!" Rei took a seething breath.

"You're fired. Get out. Don't come back." Her hair was fanned out around her frame, and Usagi thought for a moment her eyes might set Hitomi on fire. Minako had no such concerns, and steered Rei away from the preteen who looked like she was on the edge of a breakdown.

"Don't cry; just find somewhere else to work. Rei is always like this, and she won't take it back just because you're young." Usagi left Hitomi and followed the other two girls into the shrine. Inside, she found them, and a sleeping Artemis decorating the window.

Minako led Rei inside and sat her down on a cushion, offering her a cup. Rei took it, tilting its contents back. She frowned down at the empty cup.

"Minako, there is nothing in here." Minako gave an embarrassed laugh, rushing off to make tea. "Our kitchen isn't safe with her alone in there," she muttered.

Usagi watched Rei in silence.

After another few minutes of that, Rei had endured enough. "What? Will you quit staring at me like that?" Usagi's shoulders slumped, but she nodded.

"I just thought that this might be...you know, the illness that's been getting everyone, and..." Usagi hesitated to say more. "I was wondering how Minako got here before me. She lives on the other side of-"

"Don't." Rei said, hands neatly folded in her lap. "Just because I had a vision of betrayal doesn't mean it will come to pass."

"I know, and maybe this isn't part of your vision either. I mean, the woman in your vision had black hair right?" Rei nodded. Usagi sighed with relief. "Well then it couldn't be Minako."

Unknown to both of them, Minako was listening outside the door, her grip on the tray tightening.

"Yuuichirou has been overworking himself all week since grandpa was..." Usagi put a hand on her shoulder so she wouldn't feel forced to finish the sentence. There was pain on her face. "My vision of a traitor is probably unrelated to this," she maintained.

Usagi fell back, eyes on the floor. "You're right. I shouldn't doubt Minako. She is my double after all." Usagi gave a weak version of her usual smile. "She wouldn't abandon the people she loves." Minako felt her eyes misting, those words hit a little too close to home.

"Tea's ready!" She didn't want to hear what else they might have said. She'd heard enough already. She lowered the tray, serving both of them. "How are you feeling, Rei?"

Rei sipped the tea, eyes closed.

"I don't feel anything right now."

"Well that's good right? I mean it's better than feeling something bad..." Minako's false cheer was misplaced in the somber atmosphere.

"Worse than feeling good," Usagi countered.

"Well, just give it some time. Once the doctors know what is wrong with Yuuichirou I'm sure they'll call and let you know." Rei nodded, although her expression seemed unconvinced.

"Rei-chan, do you need anything?" Minako was already standing up to leave even as she asked it. The sting from the words she'd heard hadn't quite passed yet, and she knew if Rei's temper flared up again she would no doubt be in the line of fire. The priestess shook her head, setting the teacup down.

"I'll get going then," scooping up the dozing cat, Minako headed out the front screen door before either of them could argue otherwise.

Rei gave her retreating back a searching look. "What was that all about?" Usagi shook her head in response, uncomprehending.

oOoOoOo

She grabbed another two eggs from the industrial fridge, cracking them with her nail and pouring them into the bowl. Right now, she had twenty minutes to finish making this batter and fry up at least three servings of pickles.

It wasn't her usual task to make appetizers or entrees, but Makoto enjoyed her job so she did not complain. She worked lenient hours, got to make all the pastries and desserts she could have ever wanted, and she and her boss were compatible on more than one level.

She did not enjoy working today, however.

She was still bleeding, although today she had been prepared for the leakage. There was pain radiating outward from her midsection, and she felt like crying every second she let her mind wander, which was quite frequent, since kneading dough, stirring batter and keeping an eye on the grill and deep fryer for smoke only required about half her attention. The constant smell of food was not helping her nausea either.

Pouring in a healthy bit of flour, cornmeal, and pickle juice, she tossed the mixture around. The pickles had already been laid out and dried, all she had to do now was soak them in buttermilk, dip them in the batter and dump them in the deep fryer.

She sniffled as she worked, again overwhelmed by her urge to cry. Whether it was from loss or pain, she didn't dare to guess. Dumping the pickles into the hot oil, she moved to check on her grilled chicken. It was starting to burn. She lowered the heat and flipped it over quickly, but it was already a bit overdone. In vain, she tried to scrape off the brown spots with the edge of the spatula, frustrated by her inability to succeed at even that.

"Go home if you're sick!" she heard someone behind her say. Turning, she saw it was the restaurant's maitre d, heading out the back door for a cigarette break. He was probably the one person here she couldn't stand, but luckily he was far from the kitchen for most of his time here.

She grabbed a paper towel, wiping her nose and washing her hands. They would send her home regardless of what she told them if they thought she was contagious. Having a sick chef in the kitchen was no good for any restaurant.

Moving back to the chicken, she grabbed the salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. Blending the colors over the meat, she fished the chicken out with a tong and dropped it into a bowl to cool. Another staffer snatched up the bowl, already moving off to plate it.

She wasn't the type to point fingers, but she had suspicions about why her miscarriage had come immediately after Minako's arrival to her house. Artemis was not exempt from her suspicion either. Either of them could have slipped something into her food, her drinks. Makoto didn't want to think about it, but if one of the team was actually betraying the others and intentionally spreading illness to their families, she wouldn't eliminate the possibility.

With a sigh, Makoto gave the tongs and batter bowl a quick rinse before dropping them in the dishwasher.

If it was one of the two, she would wager it to be Artemis. When she'd been in the bathroom, at her worst, he hadn't done anything to help her. But then again, Minako was working to become an actress. She could just as easily have poisoned Makoto and then faked sympathy to avoid arousing suspicion.

Makoto frowned, spreading another batch of chicken over the grill.

The fact remained that she didn't fully trust either of them. She wanted to talk to someone about her suspicions, but she knew that if it wasn't Minako or Artemis, than the chances of it being one of the other girls' were much higher.

Thinking about it gave her a headache, and a guilty conscience. But at least it was better than thinking about her baby. Or, what could have been her baby…

Her eyes began to sting again and she swiped a furious hand across them, retrieving another egg to make more batter. She kept working until mid-afternoon.

As she headed back to check on the frying pickles for the hundredth time, her communicator began beeping.

oOoOoOo

Ami had stayed at the hospital overnight, and fallen asleep in the waiting chair despite the chirping of her communicator. When she woke up, she went back to pouring over her information on the polymorphs, trying to focus on the words in front of her and not the movements of every doctor in the hall.

She was so anxious to hear news on her mother that she jumped when her phone rang. Seeing the number on it, she didn't bother answering; she just stood and went to the front kiosk. "Mizuno Ami, here to see Mariko Mizuno" she said in a rush. The receptionist put the phone down, looking as haggard as Ami felt.

"She's stable, you may see her now." After leading her down a branch of halls, they stopped in front of the ICU ward.

Her mother was clinging to consciousness by a thread when Ami walked in. A shivering pile of blankets and cords, her mother looked so very small in the bedding and equipment. A group of heating pads was stacked above the blankets, so they wouldn't burn her skin. They still had an EKG machine beside the bed, but Ami noted to herself that the pulse was in fact strong again. Underneath the oxygen mask, Ami saw her smile at her arrival.

"Mom..." Ami sat at the edge of her bed, taking her mother's hand in her own. It felt like icicles beneath her fingers, so Ami wrapped her other hand around it to warm her up. She could feel tears pricking her eyes. Seeing the woman who had always been her pillar of strength in such a pathetic state, Ami's composure was fraying. It gave her a whole new perspective of Rei's suffering.

"How did this happen?"

Her mother shook her head, eyes sad. "..Don't, remember..." Her words were chattering like her teeth. Ami felt even more helpless at the pitiful response. She pulled the blankets up a bit higher on the shivering woman, a pointless effort.

"You know I can only stay for five, maybe ten minutes, but..." Ami brought forth her mother's favorite book from her bag, setting it down on the side of the electrocardiograph, "I brought you this, and this." Ami fished out her own favorite book from her bag, setting it down on top of the first. Her mother gave her a soft smile, reaching with one frigid hand to cup Ami's face despite her trembling frame.

"Thank you, Ami." Ami clung to the medical professionalism she had drilled into herself, trying desperately not to cry.

A pained moan came from the ICU patient next to her mother, breaking the moment between them. It was another reminder that while her mother might not be in the emergency room, she was in the next most critical place.

Sniffling, Ami brought her hand back down to rest with her mother's other underneath the massive amount of blankets and heating pads scattered along the bed. "Do you mind if I record some readings of my own, to see if I can determine what's wrong or what caused this?" Her mother just smiled, patting her hand and shaking her head. Ami wasn't even sure she understood the question by the glazed look in her eyes.

Ami knew she only had a few minutes left, so her fingers flew over the keyboard with record speed. She recorded a video feed of the EKG to set a baseline for her heartbeat, and pulled up a thermal and x-ray scan as well. She even dredged up some of her earlier programs, ones meant for biological composition and analysis. A tiny beep let her know the scans were finished and she skimmed the results, disappointment growing. "Its hypothermia," she said, putting the compact back into her bag. "But your body temperature is already rising; you are going to be okay." Ami wanted to smile in relief, but the puzzle of determining the root of her mother's hypothermia was still weighing on her.

Her mother nodded, too fatigued to argue. "Sound...disappointed," she mumbled, still struggling to force words out past her trembling lips.

Ami gave her a sheepish look. "I was hoping it would be something that made sense." She brought her hands back up to cocoon her mother's. "Something I could cure."

Another male groan interrupted them, from behind the same curtain dividing the sections of the ICU.

Irritated with the disruption, Ami stood up to go ask them to keep it down. Peering around the curtain, Ami's mouth dropped open. "Motoki?"

He was barely recognizable. His skin was blistered and lacerated, and he was quivering not unlike her mother. However, guessing by the irregular heart rate showing up on the monitor, Motoki was seizing. On auto-pilot, Ami moved forward, rolling him onto his side and calling for assistance while she disentangled the wires. Moving to the edge of the bed she looked over his chart, noticing he was on Oxycodone. For him to be feeling pain even while on such a strong medication...what had happened to him? She grabbed his spoon from discarded hospital Jell-O and slid it into his mouth, hopefully to prevent him from biting off his tongue, or choking on it if he vomited.

As a nurse rushed over to help her, Ami stepped back, picking up her computer again to scan Motoki, a theory already forming in her mind. Pressing her lips together, she compiled the data she'd gathered in the last week. She compartmentalized the data from the battles and the data she'd gotten from Grandpa Hino, her mother and Motoki. The beeping noise coming from her bag was at the back of her mind, she was so close to piecing it all together...

Her computer's correlation program graphed the trend, confirming her suspicions. Cold dread sank in her belly and she stepped away from Motoki and her mother.

"I think my five minutes is up," she said, standing at the edge of her mother's bed. "I'll be back again soon. Get better," she ordered. Ami rushed from the room, mind a million miles away. The beeping stopped. Her mother's dazed look followed after her.

Two floors above, Yuuichirou laid prone on a sterile bed. To an observer he looked just like another sleeping patient, but the chart at the edge of his bed told otherwise. Scribbled down in sloppy handwriting was the diagnosis: lapsing deeper into a coma.

oOoOoOo

Minako had been walking for a while now, unsure where to go. She wasn't in the mood to shop, and she didn't want to watch any more movies for at least a few months. The idea of going to the arcade had crossed her mind, but she wasn't in the mood to talk to any of the other girls if she happened to see them there. Usagi and Rei had soured her daily dose of trust with the conversation she'd overheard at the shrine.

As she passed a church, something pulled at her, urging her to take a closer look. Never one to ignore her inner urges, Minako headed up the main steps, curiosity piqued. She realized halfway that what she was sensing wasn't coming from the church, but from the graveyard beside it.

The blades of grass suspended in midair were the first clue. As they began to vibrate, Minako realized the shadow on the ground was coming from the invisible polymorph. This one had almost no vein network, which made it all the more dangerous.

There were no ceremonies in session, and only a few mourners about since it was a weekday. She blamed her bad luck at being the first to sight the monster on her lack of guardian, who was still using his injury as an excuse to sleep three times more than any creature alive. He had abandoned her when she left the temple, claiming he needed rest before slinking back to his cushion. Sidestepping into the hedges, Minako called out a transformation and emerged a senshi.

After alerting the others and shepherding the civilians away, she charged headlong into the battle.

It didn't take long for her to realize the serious error in her decision to engage the polymorph alone. With her vision screened by the visor Mercury had given her, she could see the creature was not a humanoid like the polymorph in the theatre, but almost completely human. It even had distinctive joints and digits, and if not for its camouflaging and consistency, it would have been just another grieving person in the cemetery.

The problem wasn't her conscience over attacking another humanoid monster. That had been quelled early on with Beryl's youma. Venus' problem was that this polymorph was almost three times faster than its predecessors, and seemed to have some degree of intelligence, and the combination was proving to create a very elusive and hazardous foe. As soon as she had a few seconds to breath between dodging its assault, she turned to return fire.

Calling upon her planet, she let a Love and Beauty Shock attack ram into the creature.

The polymorph snarled its rage at being hit, and blew a sphere of condensed steam into a tomb stone. Unfortunately for her, the tomb stone it blasted happened to be the one directly in front of her.

The headstone smacked into Venus, knocking her a few feet back and dislodging her visor. Her visor went skittering over the grass, and stopped with a metallic clack against another grave marker. As she scrambled to re-gather her equipment, the polymorph pressed its advantage.

With speed far beyond any of its former comrades, it fired off a string of steam attacks. The tomb stones were being blown apart by the assault, firing bits of rock and ceramic into the air. The polymorph had already caught one tree in the blast as well, which now bore a dark burn mark where the attack had collided and severed part of its trunk. Venus did not move from beneath the resulting rubble of the felled tree and gravestones.

As it powered up another attack, two figures stepped into its path.

"I knew she wouldn't hold it off alone for long, but really now..." Sailor Neptune raised her arms, casting a tidal wave at the direction she'd last seen Venus attack the polymorph.

"Bit tricky since its invisible," Uranus remarked, summoning her space sword and taking up a protective stance in front of Neptune while her partner brought forth her aqua mirror. Behind them, Sailor Pluto and Saturn arrived, coming up to help in the battle. Raising the mirror, the teal senshi turned it to reflect light onto the surroundings, pointing when she saw an abnormal flickering.

"Space sword blaster!" Uranus let the energy from her saber cleave the air as it hurtled toward the polymorph.

"Uranus! Neptune!" Two new senshi stood at the other end of the graveyard, one in red and one in a tiered skirt.

"'Bout time!" Uranus remarked, squinting to see whether or not her attack had reached its target.

Twice in a row now Venus had been the first one at the site of the polymorph. And twice in a row, Mercury had been absent. Mars and Moon bit down their suspicions.

Neither chose to reply to Uranus, instead launching their own attacks at the creature. With their visors firmly on, they didn't have to struggle to see the polymorph like the outers. The monster was enraged by the onslaught from all sides, but nowhere near defeated. Unlike its formers, this polymorph seemed to have more stamina as well. Instead, it decided to evade the multitude of attacks the senshi threw at it, firing off its own in between rounds. The barrage of steam it kept using was making the battlefield a scattered mess of debris and fog, and limiting mobility since incoming projectiles were everywhere. Constantly firing off individual magic, without the guidance of the leader of the senshi, was draining everyone present too quickly. Without being hit by a combined assault, the polymorph continued to endure and exhaust everyone present.

After an excruciating ten minutes with the speedy enemy, Sailor Jupiter arrived. If anyone noticed that Venus was nowhere to be seen, no one wasted precious seconds mentioning it.

The relief at Jupiter's arrival was short lived when another blast from the polymorph blew more tree bark into Eternal Sailor Moon's arm. She let out a cry, going down to her knees.

It would have been a fatal mistake if not for the razor-tipped rose that severed the incoming blast in half.

"Miss me?" Tuxedo Kamen swept out in front of her, using his cape as a shield while she recuperated.

As Sailor Moon arose, Sailor Jupiter was taking the temporary lull to ambush the polymorph with a vengeance. Without Mercury or Venus to discourage it, she was throwing herself into the battle as if possessed. Pounding the polymorph with one attack after the other, Jupiter's fury didn't let up even when Uranus swept in to swipe at it with her blade.

Uranus cursed, swerving sideways at the last second to avoid chopping off several of Jupiter's fingers. Jupiter was undaunted, screaming out another "Oak Evolution " as the polymorph dodged another attack. Saturn was lingering behind her foster parents, glaive held at the ready to deflect incoming steam bursts. She too was wearing out from overexertion.

Pluto caught the creature in the side with a physical blow from her staff as it evaded Jupiter's battering leaves. Somewhere a few meters away, a disoriented Venus was pushing her way out from beneath the chunks of stone and tree.

"We need…" Venus paused in a wince and gripped her head, shoving another piece of a destroyed gravestone off her, "surround it- combine attacks." Jupiter tripped over the wrecked tree, falling forward with a grimace.

"On three," Neptune held her mirror out in front of herself, keeping its reflection glinting off the polymorph so the other outers could see where to aim.

"One, two, three! Submarine Reflection!"

As everyone unleashed their own attack, the blinding light from Neptune's drowned out any view of the polymorph's demise. The inner senshi and Tuxedo Kamen all ripped off their visors as if burned, rubbing their eyes and blinking away sunspots.

"Is it gone?" Mars still held another arrow taut in the limbs of her bow.

"Yes," Sailor Venus hadn't righted herself fully yet, and was still using the remains of a tree to brace her upper half as she attempted to pull her legs free.

Uranus stood beside her partner, disdain plain on her face.

All her feelings of injustice at having to return to Tokyo for this supposedly lethal menace rose to the surface as she watched Jupiter stumble to pick herself back up. In the background the noise of tombstones being overturned furthered her anger while they tried to dig Venus free. They'd given up their home for this?

"You imbeciles," she seethed, "You can't even pull your own weight!" Uranus felt Neptune's arm on her own, but she yanked it off. She would deal with the repercussions later; right now she was too mad to care.

"We're doing more than you!" mouthed Mars, pointing a finger in the general direction of the outer senshi after dismissing her arrow. "You weren't even here for the first three fights!"

"We shouldn't be here NOW!" Uranus roared, barely in control of her rising fury. "It's your duty to deal with threats from within the solar system-and ours to deal with those that are foreign! We are here because you can't even wipe your own asses!"

Jupiter stepped in at this point, seeing red. "Excuse me? You think that we're not doing our part? We didn't ask you to come help us, we were doing just fine without you!"

"Oh yeah? Does Venus look fine to you?" Uranus' nostrils flared, her fists clenched. Venus was limping out from underneath the debris with Mars supporting her.

Jupiter threw a glance at her injured comrade. "She knew the risks of the job, she'll get over it," she snapped.

Neptune usually played the supporting role to Uranus in life, and this was no different in her eyes. "It is a privilege to be chosen as a senshi," she said, her lips thinning. "To be allowed to protect everyone we love… to be given the powers we are, enough to save the world time and time again, is an honor, not a job." She kept herself from sneering down at the inner senshi by pursing her lips to hold it back. "You claim not to need us, but your own teammates have abandoned you, and you can no longer keep our princess safe alone. Now I'll only ask once," She made sure to look into the eyes of every inner senshi. "Where is Sailor Mercury?" Behind her, Sailor Saturn had a look of dawning horror written with childhood openness across her face at the implication.

They looked back and forth amongst one another, but no one said a word.

"She probably saw what a cowardly bunch this lot is and decided she'd be better off fighting alone," Uranus guessed, before her eyes darkened. "Or maybe they were too weak to protect her, and she's already dead."

"SHUT UP," Sailor Moon shouted, holding her hands out to both sides, even though she was still bleeding freely from one arm. "Just SHUT UP, all of you!" Various expressions of shock and surprise flitted across the group: Sailor Moon had never lost her compassionate understanding, even in the throes of a battle or during a heated argument. Taking advantage of their silence, she continued in a more sedate tone, "We're all fighting for the same thing- Who cares about the differences in reasons. If we can't work together than we're not a team at all, we're just pathetic." Still, no one said anything.

Sailor Pluto took this as her cue, and stepped forward. "When I first came to warn you, I told you to keep faith in each other." Her tone was neither condemning nor accusatory, just a statement of fact. "It seems now I shall repeat this warning, to all of you." She shot Uranus a pointed look. "Believe in one another, or we will not all survive to see this enemy bested. Put your differences aside, remember where your priorities lie and work together, or else." There was an edge to her words, and everyone present felt a nonexistent wind blow through the graveyard.

Unable to resist one more barb, Uranus spat "And you call yourselves guardians?" before turning away. She was still holding her space sword threateningly as she walked away. Neptune did not look impressed by their behavior either, but she had too much dignity to insult the already disgraced team. Instead, she put a hand on Uranus' shoulder to restrain her, shaking her head. Uranus got the hint, but gave their group one more look of disgust before they both left. Saturn bowed to Sailor Moon before following after them.

oOoOoOo

It wasn't that she condoned his actions, quite the opposite. But she knew that if she were to involve any of the others, things would end poorly, for them as well as her. They weren't sneaky enough, and they weren't equipped to cope with this kind of evil, the kind born with human roots. Only she and Artemis had experience sleuthing out people like detectives from when they first searched for the senshi. And only she had the discipline to stalk a psychopath like this without losing hope or intervening.

She needed information more than she needed her morals.

So she followed her target, eyes intent on his every move. She knew he wouldn't kill again until he found someone worthy of his criteria. From what she had gathered, he had a taste for thugs.

And when he did find his prey, she was there to witness the murder as well. Another trophy for his mantle.

This time he had been much more ruthless than the last. His bloodlust was growing.

Last time had been quick, this time he was slow with his victim. Again, she watched the strange mottled texture appear around him in a cloak. It was darker than last time. He tormented the thug, dismembering him, maiming him. His attacks weren't only physical. But his power grew with each of them, like his sick hunger for justice.

The stench was making her empty stomach roil.

It was him though, she was sure of it now. She could feel it in her bones, see it in his empty eyes.

So she hid in the darkness, waiting for him finish with his carnage so she could leave without drawing his attention.

By the time the victim finally bled to death, she felt like she was going to puke. She couldn't stop the gagging noise that rose in the back of her throat.

Gleaming eyes turned towards her, his mottled aura still an ever present force around him.

Every hair on her body stood on edge. This man was extremely dangerous, clearly delusional, and magically gifted. And he had definitely recognized her this time. Without waiting to find out the full extent of his abilities, Luna dashed from the scene as fast as she could. He was chasing her; she could hear the pounding footsteps behind her, faster than any human should have been able to run.

To her luck, she saw a traffic light up ahead. She knew she had to take a risk, or he would certainly kill her.

Throwing herself in front of an oncoming vehicle, she felt adrenaline kick in. Her life was flashing before her, bright and white, sounds overlapping... She could hear Usagi laughing, Artemis apologizing. In another second she heard obnoxious honking as the car passed, and she bounded forward into the nearest shadow. Her pulse was deafening in her ears. Safely hidden in an alley, she took a second to catch her breath.

The man stood there, searching the area for the cat that had been following him for the past week. There was something about that cat he didn't like...

Luna wasn't going to wait until he discovered her new hide out. Nimble as all felines are, she leapt over the fence separating this alley from the one behind it, stealing off like a thief in the night.

oOoOoOo

She eyed the cut in her vanity mirror, as she always did. It didn't appear to have any bits of bark lodged in it, although the blood finally clotting around it was rather dark. She had always been squeamish about blood and guts, but for some reason, this one didn't seem so bad. Then again, she had been doing this for years, and this was not the worst of her injuries. Not even close, actually.

Moving into the bathroom, Usagi hummed to herself as she washed the cut on her arm with water, trying to lift her mood before she brought out the inevitable hydrogen peroxide. Soaking it in a washcloth like she had countless times before, she mentally prepared herself before hissing as she pressed it to the wound. "It hurts ow ow it hurts oowww it hurrrts!"

Thankfully, no one was home to hear her as she vented her pain.

It was hard enough to find time between her school work and personal activities to sneak off to fight monsters. The fact her family had no idea she was doing it, and hadn't for years, compounded the string of complications that was her life.

Reaching for a ribbon, she wrapped it around the slash instead of tying it in her hair.

The shrill ringing distracted her from tying the bow on it. Going into the kitchen, she picked up the landline phone, "Hello?"

"Am I speaking to Tsukino Usagi?"

"Yes?" Usagi was even more confused now. She didn't recognize the voice.

"This is Tokyo General Hospital calling. Both your parents and brother seem to have contracted a nasty virus and are going to be staying here overnight so we can monitor them in case this is something more serious."

"A virus?" Usagi didn't know much about biology, but she knew that viruses were like colds. Why were they at the hospital if they just had colds? "Are they okay?"

"Tsukino Kenji is in the best state. Tsukino Ikuko and Shingo are both on an IV drip with prescription antivirals, and Shingo has had some hair loss. Until we can determine exactly which virus is causing this, we cannot do anything to treat it further. You should also schedule a check up. " Usagi scrunched up her face in displeasure. "However..." the voice on the other end seemed reluctant.

"What is it?"

"...Their symptoms could be the result of exposure to radiation. If there is an active isotope somewhere in the vicinity of your home, it would be wise for you to stay over somewhere else for the night until we can check it in the morning." Usagi gasped, looking around the room as if she would suddenly see green vapor seeping out through the vents. Everything appeared normal.

"I will! Thank you," before anything else could be said, she hung up and dashed for the door.

Before she could reach the end of her street, she had crashed into Mamoru.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, picking herself back up.

"I came to see if you wanted to go get ice cream or..."

"I can't, I need to go. Next time, bye," Ignoring him, she headed back to the sidewalk.

"Usako," He caught her arm as she attempted to flee. "We need to talk."

"I'm BUSY right now, can't you see that?" she snapped at him, already stressed. His grip on her injured arm was not improving her mood.

"I meant we need to talk about yesterday," he said, backpedalling. "I feel like things didn't end right with us and-"

"I can't do this right now! Would you just let me go?" Yanking her arm free, Usagi turned her back to him.

"Why not?" he demanded, raking a hand through his hair. He hadn't slept well, going over in his head all the things that could have made her act like she had yesterday and how to fix them. MCATS were the last thing to worry about with Usagi acting the way she was. "What are you so damn busy with that you can't even give a minute to your boyfriend?" He knew he shouldn't throw her own words back at her, but he was hurt by her actions, and he knew if they let it lie it would only grow into further resentment.

"Oh PLEASE!" Usagi screamed, uncaring as people began to stare at their bickering. She'd been yelling at Mamoru since the first day she met him, but this was a different beast entirely. "You're going to lecture ME on not giving a minute to the relationship? After how you acted yesterday? You are unbelievable!" She threw her hands up into the air. Mamoru had the decency to look chastised even though he was glad she was finally opening up to him about it. "It's none of your business where I go and what I do with my time if you can't even spend one day a month with me without looking at other women." Mamoru's eyes widened at the accusation, and he opened his mouth to protest. Before he could speak Usagi continued. "I'm on my way to the hospital, my family needs me. And you obviously don't." With that, she whirled around, and began to dash away.

His mouth hung open, before he snapped it shut, chasing after her. Her words were like knives, since she had been the first one to assure him that he wasn't alone, that he wasn't just another orphan in a world with too many. She'd told him that she would be his family now, but it seemed she felt her blood ties were a higher priority. "Usako!" He made another grab for her arm but this time she predicted his plan and swerved to dodge him. She was running now, trying to put more distance between him and herself. Now officially panicking at the state of their relationship, Mamoru made one last ditch effort to stop her.

"I just wanted to make it right between us," he called out, hoping to appeal to her logic. Seeing that her steps had slowed, he continued, oblivious to the passerby's that were eying them as though they'd found the aliens amongst them. "I am really sorry about yesterday, but I can't undo the past. I should have done more, I should have, done something," he emphasized, tugging a hand through his hair again. "I wanted to-" he paused when she moved.

Usagi turned towards him, so slowly he couldn't hear her clothing shift. Her eyes were a deep pit of blue when she looked at him, almost swallowed by her swollen pupils. He suppressed a shudder at the look she gave him, so unlike her usual quick-to-rise smile. Those eyes held venom, and contrary to his feelings about his innocent Usako, and his direct bond to her soul, he felt fear. His survival instincts were on high alert, telling him that she would, without hesitation, hurt him. "Listen Mamoru, and really hear me this time. I, am, busy. I may overlook that you're a needy control freak on a regular day of the week, but today is not that day. Now leave me alone," She moved away from him and Mamoru felt as though she might disappear into the crowd. His helplessness exacerbated, he clenched down on his heart, which was screaming at him to follow her, that something was horribly wrong.

Something was wrong, he reasoned, her parents were in the hospital. But those eyes...she'd seemed so far from him, heartless and unlike herself. He brushed the feeling off; he knew when he was being ridiculous. It was probably just a trick of the light; she did have her back to the sun when she'd turned around. She would be back to her upbeat self once her parents were released, he told himself.

But it didn't feel like that. It felt the same as when Eternal Sailor Moon had fallen to the ground and was being attacked again by a polymorph, about to be blown to bits.

Mamoru had dropped the thought, but the sense that she was still in imminent danger stayed with him for the rest of the day.

oOoOoOo

Usagi demanded to see her family from the nurse in the front office. Her rudeness set the woman on edge, but she maintained polite professional responses and directed Usagi to the third floor where they were staying. This teenage girl was just worried about her folks, like everyone else who came here to visit someone.

The elevator was moving too slow. Usagi tapped her foot and squirmed with impatience, irritating the other occupants of the small elevator. When it finally reached the third floor, she pushed her way past two other people and ran down the hall even as a few of the hospital staff called out to her to slow down.

Reaching the door to their room, she didn't waste time knocking. "Mom, Dad! Shingo," She ran up to them, eyes like saucers. "Are you guys okay?"

Kenji smiled at her, "Hey little girl, don't worry, we're fine. It's just a bug" He seemed to be in the best shape out of the three of them. "I don't know why they insist on us staying here, it's expensive!"

Shingo was hooked up to three different cords, a banana bag draped beside him. Ikuko also had an IV, but she only had one needle in her arm. While both were donning weaker pallor than usual, Ikuko's hair hadn't lost its aquatic luster.

Usagi went over to Shingo, bending down by his bedside. "You guys have to get better," she said, teary. "You have to."

Shingo tried to ward her off with his hands but winced when the motion caused a syringe to sink in deeper to his arm. "Jeesh Usagi, don't be such a crybaby. We'll be fine now that they've got us on all these drugs." He gave the bag of fluids a baneful look. Reassured that he wasn't on death's door yet, Usagi went to inspect her mother.

"Expensive drugs," Kenji groused. His voice sounded gruffer than usual.

"As long as they get you well who cares?" Usagi said.

"I care. It's my hard-earned money we're squandering by staying here instead of at home."

"But dear," Ikuko reasoned, "Who would cook and care for us? Don't tell me you'd expect Usagi to be our nurse?"

"I could be a nurse!" Usagi volunteered, peeved by the insinuation that she wouldn't take care of her own flesh and blood.

"I think your cooking alone might kill us all," Shingo nettled, rolling away to avoid the blow she leveled at his arm. "Hey I'm il-" He broke off into a fit of coughing. Realizing what she'd done, Usagi lowered her arm, chastened.

"...Well I could order takeout for you, and give you lots of fruits. Or have one of the girl's cook for you," Usagi wasn't sure the others would agree to this plan of hers, especially with their own hardships, but she knew there had to be a way to make everyone happy and well. "And I could clean the house and take care of-"

"It's fine Usagi," Ikuko placated. "We are plenty comfortable, and despite what your father says, we can afford to spend the night here." Kenji shot her a dour look, but said nothing.

"I just wish there were something I could do for you guys..." Usagi bowed her head in shame.

"You could bring me my portable," Shingo offered, which earned him another swat from the bristling Usagi.

"The doctor says you need to rest. And playing your games isn't going to help you sleep." In her mind, Ikuko added 'or let us get any sleep with all the beeping flashing lights'.

"She's right," Usagi agreed, playing devil's advocate. "You can play those games later, when you can move your arms."

"I can move my arms!" Shingo protested, attempting to demonstrate but failing as he reached the limits of one of the wires. "Fine," he mumbled, "Don't do anything for me then. Some sister you are."

Usagi glared at him, standing and trying to hide how much that insult had stung. Her face was an open book though, and Ikuko read it from her without trying. "Well now that I know you're all fine, I guess I came here for nothing." In a flurry of hair and cloth, she slammed the door to the room behind her.

"She has been weird lately," Shingo commented, unapologetic as he scratched his head. He was pulled into another bout of coughing for his efforts to move around so much, even as strands of hair slipped from his fingers.

"Hush, you need to rest your throat. It's probably too sore already." Ikuko leaned back into the unyielding pillows of the hospital bed. Usagi had been different lately though. She was crying less, getting angry easier.

"It's probably all that time she spends with that college boy," Kenji said, brows furrowed.

Ikuko wondered if he might be right, or if there was something else in her daughter's life that might affect her so. It bothered her mother's nature to think that her precious baby might be going through something alone, but she knew that until she got healthy, there was nothing she could do about it.

AN: The grand finale is coming up next, and hopefully it will exceed everyone's expectations. Until then, feel free to make your own guesses about what is happening(and what will happen), I enjoy reading them. Thank you to all the reviewers for the continued support, and thank you MGray for beta-reading. Don't clean wounds with hydrogen peroxide. It scars, and burns, and oxidizes(mutates) the healthy cells its exposed to, meaning it degrades the DNA. Oh and the chapter title was a toss up between "Dissent" and "Descent," not a spelling error. I settled for the latter. :)


	5. Dawn

A tapping sound pulled Ami's attention from the chart she was drawing up. Ignoring it, she tried to focus back on the webbed pattern that was emerging, only for the tapping to grow more insistent. Distracted, she looked up annoyed, trying to find the source. A dark shape was at the edge of her kitchen window, rattling it. Her apartment was on the fifth floor, so her curiosity as to what could climb this high up led her to investigate the sound. She couldn't focus on her work with it making a ruckus, anyways.

As she flipped on the kitchen light, she saw a familiar form was perched on the precariously thin sill. "Luna!" Rushing over, she opened the latch and let the cat climb through to the safety of solid footing. Luna looked like a stray, caked in mud and filth. Ami was already suspicious of the feline's prolonged absence, but her appearance here at her apartment rather than Usagi's..."What are you doing here?" She didn't want to believe Luna could be the source of the betrayal Rei had mentioned, but if she were, Ami was not about to be caught off guard.

Luna was watching her with her usual detached poise, despite her feral condition. "It wasn't safe for me to go back. I knew if I came here, even if he followed me it wouldn't matter." Luna pulled back on her haunches as if she were going to jump onto the counter like usual but Ami brought up both her hands to stop her.

"Luna, stop! You're covered in mud, at least stay on the ground until I put something down. I eat in here..." Ami moved to get a washcloth, before setting it down on the counter. "What do you mean it wasn't safe? Who is following you?"

Luna looked on edge at the prospect of a bath, but she relented to Ami's compromise, jumping up onto the towel. She curled up, still watching Ami's face intently. "I wasn't sure who to trust. I knew out of all the girls, you would be too careful to be exposed to it." Ami felt her stomach drop out, her lingering doubts and the diagram she had drafted coming to the forefront of her mind.

"Exposed to what?" Luna looked uneasy and it did nothing to help Ami's unsettled nerves.

"The 'polymorph', that is what you're calling it isn't it? The polymorph's toxin." Ami couldn't help but feel relieved that Luna hadn't confirmed her fears, even if her response did incur a whole host of new worries. The idea that the polymorph material was toxic was something that hadn't even occurred to her, and it wasn't verifiable without chemical analysis. And since that was unsafe with the regenerative properties, it was out of the question. She would have to trust Luna's knowledge. "Artemis was hit with its attack early on, so I tried not to go anywhere where he might show up."

"Like central control," Ami supplied, already trying to piece together the puzzle even though she knew she was still missing parts."You weren't there when I went to research that night of the first encounter."

Luna nodded. "I don't know if Artemis was exposed to it or not." She sounded absolutely distraught, and despite Ami's reservations to trusting the cat, she couldn't help but empathize with her obvious pain. "He still had quite a bit of hide after the blast. Makoto though..." Luna closed her eyes. "She fell into the sludge, and endured a direct hit at the last battle."

"You were at all the battles then?"

"Only those two. I had another mission between them." Before Ami could ask for further details on this other mission, Luna continued. "Its hard to believe Makoto escaped unchanged. However, given what happened with her baby, I hardly think it fair to say one way or another." Luna rested her head on her paws. "I can't tell whether or not Rei or Minako have been exposed either, they've both been dealing with too much trauma in their everyday lives for me to be a fair judge. It wasn't safe to go to any of them."

"What about Usagi-chan or the outer senshi? Usagi's family has taken care of you for years now, and the outer senshi only participated in the last fight and none of them were anywhere near the polymorph."

"The outer senshi were not in Tokyo until a few nights ago, and even then it has never been wise to involve them in inner senshi affairs. If any of you had been subjected to the toxin, it's likely they would have concluded that you be removed from the team, through force if necessary." Luna let out a sigh, "That has always been their way."

"Are they wrong to take that stance? You aren't willing to believe in us either," Ami knew she was being abrasive, but Luna still had many questions to answer before she was going to accept the cat's explanation.

"Yes. The polymorph toxin may be dangerous but their solution would be permanent." her tone was steely, and it hit Ami that Luna was implying something more sinister than she'd first assumed. She swallowed to wet her dry throat before speaking.

"Why did you come to me though, if there is a chance I've been infected?" Luna looked disinterested, but Ami continued, "I did take home a sample of the polymorph to study." Luna shook her head.

"You've endured the least of the disturbing events in the past week, and you have not shown any aberrations in your normal behavior. I think it's fair to say you have not been compromised." Luna raised her head back up. "Among other reasons." Ami didn't like the superior air Luna kept putting on, but she ignored it to get an answer to her biggest fear.

She held her breath. "And Usagi?"

"Usagi..." Luna closed her eyes again, "has changed," she finally admitted. Ami's throat tightened up, but she forced herself to release the air she'd been holding. "I don't know enough about the polymorphs to say exactly how or when, but she isn't herself." Luna's attitude had evaporated with the statement, now she looked helpless. "I was hoping you might know something." Ami clamped down on her concern for Usagi and nodded. So Luna's other reasons for visiting Ami and not the others were because of her research the enemy, she mused. Instead of feeling used, Ami felt a bit of pride beneath her dread.

"Is the toxin treatable?" Ami didn't dare to expect a positive response.

"Not that I know of."

It occurred to Ami as she gathered up her notes that she still didn't have an answer as to what mission had kept Luna preoccupied for the past week. "Luna," Ami put the notes down beside the cat, who immediately began to read over them. "Who is following you?" Luna looked up, and then focused back on the notes.

"Have you been watching the news lately Ami?" Ami had the decency to blush. She'd been too busy with everything else to keep up with worldly interaction, and that included reading the paper or watching the news.

"No. What's happened?"

"I thought not. There has been a serial killer loose in Tokyo for at least two months now, and he is systematically picking off convicted felons at record pace." Ami's eyes widened. "At first, I passed it off as just another string of crime, but..." Luna stopped, choosing her words, "it was too organized. There were too many people being killed too quickly, and all with the same characteristics. It had to be either a group of killers, or one methodical mastermind. I decided to look further into it, to see if it was a new threat to the senshi." Ami was disturbed by the conversation, this sounded like something better left to the police. Her interest in the results of the investigation won out.

"What did you find?" She already regretted the question, no answer Luna could give her would be good enough to placate the images her imagination was supplying.

"I found the murderer." Luna let out a tiny smile at her triumph, before dropping it again. "I followed him, and at first I don't think he noticed my presence at all. But by the third day, he was definitely aware that I had been following him. He has more power than a human should, and I believe he sensed me tailing him. I don't know what he thinks of me, but after that I had to give up my pursuit. It was too risky. If he caught me, I have no doubt he would have killed me like the others." Ami shivered.

"Who is it?" Ami whispered, not wanting to know, but wondering why Luna hadn't already leaked an anonymous tip to the police.

"Its better that you don't know," Luna said, shaking her head. "I don't know the extent of his powers, but he is extremely dangerous. Its almost a guarantee that he will become a concern for the senshi if his powers continue to manifest as they have been. However, the polymorph's toxin is a more pressing problem, especially if Usagi is infected." Ami hated hearing that Usagi might be involved, but she had to agree with Luna's analysis that she had been acting strangely.

"There is something else, and I think this should take priority" Ami said, rifling through the notes to the bottom where she'd begun her web diagram. "Take a look at this."

Luna skimmed the contents of the scans and side notes Ami had assimilated, then pasted together on this one paper. Her eyes widened as she saw the emerging pattern. "We need to call a meeting."

Tapping the all call on her communicator, Ami waited until everyone's faces were visible on the screen. Rei appeared better than she had yesterday, but Makoto looked exhausted. Usagi and Minako looked like they'd just woken up. "Senshi meeting, today. Be there at noon." Collectively, they nodded. Ami turned back to face Luna.

"What should we do in the meantime?" Luna glanced at the clock.

"Try to find a cure, and pray we make it in time."

"For which problem first?"

"Either. Both. We need to find some way to keep this from spreading."

Ami felt trepidation creeping in again. "And if we can't?"

Luna gave her a grave look. "Then we'll need a miracle."

oOoOoOo

The girls sat in their usual circle at the temple, and everyone was here now that it was twenty minutes past noon. Mamoru had omitted attending this meeting to study for the MCATs, with the promise from Ami that he would be told everything later. Artemis was snoring like a fog horn from his position on a seating cushion, and it served to ease some of the tension in the room. Everyone's eyes were on Ami and she felt the pressure of it like being held underwater for too long.

Clearing her throat, she tried to think of the best way to approach the reality she had uncovered. It needed to be addressed before returning to polymorph business and Luna's reappearance, but she didn't want to dive directly into such a huge announcement. "I'm sorry to have missed the last fights," she said, licking her lips, "But I was focused on this discovery. Did any of you ever wonder why the people who were attacked were always close to us, physically or literally?"

"Life's a bitch." Minako's voice was flippant but her eyes held a distant pain. Makoto gave her a sideways glance, but said nothing.

"Hey, she got it right that time," Rei prodded. Minako stuck her tongue out in retaliation.

Ami gave a disapproving nod. "I've been scanning our battles for years, and I can now say definitively that we," she paused for emphasis "are the cause of the misfortune to those around us."

"What?" Rei hissed, shooting a glance at Makoto who had raised a hand to her barren midsection. Rei wasn't sure the others knew yet, but from Minako's guilty shifting eyes, Rei guessed that she at least did. Without her second sight, she wouldn't have known. "What do you mean we're the cause?"

Ami swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Our powers, our energy," she reached over and dipped her smallest finger into her cup of tea, waiting a moment for it to stop dripping before raising her hand. "It may not actively be visible but it surrounds and follows each of us like a protective shell. When we come in contact with someone who does not possess such a barrier," she raised her ring finger to brush against her pinky, watching as the liquid moved to the side of her second finger, "some of it is transferred onto them. Not only does our energy attract attention from our enemies, but the energy itself acts like a poison, eating away at their health. Over a long length of exposure, it can be detrimental."

"How can we possibly stop something like that?" Makoto whispered, with her face ashen as she stared down at the floor. "WE are the enemy!"

"It's not just that," Ami continued, the other girls turned more horrified and disbelieving looks at her.

"How much worse can it possibly get?" muttered Rei under her breath. Minako nodded silent agreement.

From her unseen vantage point on Mercury's communicator screen, Luna gave Ami and encouraging nod, urging her to continue as she took a shuddering breath. Luna was staying as far away from the others as she could, and so far no one had noticed her listening in on the meeting. "When someone we've been in contact with recently comes in contact with someone else," she raised her thumb to brush her ring finger where the tea was, "it goes on to further contaminate them. And..." she took another shaky breath, "People who we have been in close quarters with for most our lives," she lowered her hand, her eyes misting, "our energy traces on them don't fade away over time anymore. They become permanent, and anyone who they come into contact with will be infected."

"Our families and friends," Usagi finally spoke, her voice ripe with despair, "we are what's killing them."

Ami shook her head, tears leaking down her cheeks, "No, Usagi, we might as well have already killed them. With the exception of Rei's father, all of our families have already absorbed too much of our energy, and even our friends have begun to show symptoms of energy poisoning. Motoki was next door to my mother in the ICU at Tokyo General."

Makoto had a lost look in her eyes, her body still motionless. She swallowed down her nausea and whispered, "It really was my fault then...and it won't be the last. I'll never be able to have a child." She closed dry eyes, still unmoving. Usagi turned rounded eyes on her, surprised by the admission, but Ami had a look of confirmed knowledge. "None of us can ever have a family."

A pall of silence descended over them.

"Wait a second," said Rei, suddenly angry. "What about Chibi-Usa? We know she exists in the future and that she is Usagi's daughter. How is that possible if being exposed to Usagi's energy will poison and kill her while she's still in the womb?" Ami shifted, wiping her eyes and gathering her composure again.

"Maybe there is a cure or a prevention mechanism for this in the future. It's also possible that the healing properties of the Ginzuishou heal her during Usagi's pregnancy." Usagi's eyes fixed on Ami. "There is a third possibility but..."

Minako cut her off, "But what? If there is another way to keep our loved ones alive, out with it!"

"Our energy levels are highest when we transform, and use our most powerful attacks. If we gave up our powers-" Rei jumped up from the table, knocking her tea over.

"Are you insane? Then what?" she was seething, her rage barely contained. All the pent up aggression from her grandfather's early death and Yuuichirou's unexplained coma was exploding forth and she could do nothing to control her rising temper. Her form shook with the force of her emotions, "We leave Usagi unprotected while Tokyo is blown to bits? How can you even suggest that?"

Ami stared up at her brokenly, "What else can we do? Just because your grandfather is already dead doesn't mea-" a resounding slap echoed off the walls. Ami raised a hand to her stinging cheek.

"Don't you dare." Rei's fists were clenched at her sides, dark hair framing her like a cobra's hood. "Don't even try to compare the death of your own loved ones to the death of Usagi. If she dies, the world dies. We all knew that as senshi we'd be forced to make sacrifices and just because I've already paid mine," Rei snarled, "doesn't give you the right to throw it in my face." Ami raised hurt eyes to watch as Rei stormed from the room, ripping the new paper door off its panel as she slammed it behind her.

Minako stood up, placing a consoling hand on Ami's vacant shoulder and shooting her an apologetic look before rushing after Rei.

"I..." Ami lowered her hand from her cheek, face unreadable, "I didn't deserve that."

"She's in more pain than us," Usagi said, eyes shadowed. "She's already lost a loved one, and now she knows she's going to lose another."

oOoOoOo

Minako approached Rei with caution, making sure to put pressure on the floorboards so they would creak. She wasn't about to sneak up on Rei after her outburst. Rei's shoulders stiffened when the wood whined.

"Leave," said Rei, but her voice was raspy from crying and Minako heard it.

"No." She came up beside Rei, who stood on the back porch of the shrine, leaning against the railing. They stood in silence for a minute, watching the wind move through the trees. The shrine had always had a calming atmosphere, and the wind helped Rei dry her damp cheeks.

"It was unnecessary," Rei confessed, clenching the hand she'd slapped Ami with. "I shouldn't have done it, but she just kept going on about how it's our fault and I kept remembering my grandfather's last words..."

Minako listened, unwilling to pry but ready to break the silence if Rei closed herself off again.

"He told me, 'I want you to know that whatever it is, I forgive you, and I love you very much.' I thought he meant about my hiding being a senshi..." she lowered her head, hair obscuring her face. "But now I know that I do not deserve his forgiveness, for anything. I'm the one who made him sick." she raised her eyes to Phobos and Deimos who were sitting in a nearby tree.

Minako waited a beat before speaking. "Whether he knew or not, he would have forgiven you regardless. He loved you Rei, and I know he would be chiding you for thinking this way about yourself."

Rei let out a short puff of air that might have turned into a laugh if she had let it. "He would." Another minute passed while they watched the sun hover in the sky.

Rei let out a sigh, finally turning to face Minako. "I miss him so much-" Minako enveloped her in a hug, cutting her off.

"I know, I miss him too." She held the stunned girl another few seconds before releasing her. "I even miss him trying to look up my skirts." Rei smiled with a small laugh escaping.

"He was always such a pervert..." Her smile softened, and her posture slouched while she hung her head. "I shouldn't have slapped Ami."

"And I'm sure when you tell her that, she'll forgive you too." Minako smiled. "But you should hurry, before she leaves."

oOoOoOo

"We should wait for them, before we talk about the rest," Ami said. Before she could continue, a thin layer of mist seeped out from beneath the broken door. It thickened and began spilling out from behind the other doors as well.

On instant alert, Ami and Makoto reached for their transformation wands, moving closer to Usagi.

"I'll take those," came a smooth cadence from behind the mist before a familiar figure emerged.

"Pluto!" Usagi breathed a sigh of relief, the other girls relaxing as well. Perplexed, Usagi frowned, "Take what?"

She gave her trademark mysterious smile, opening the hand not holding her staff to reveal its previously unnoticed contents. "I've come to offer a trade," in her hand glittered the original transformation pens of Sailor Mercury and Jupiter.

"With those, we won't be able to do our strongest attacks," Ami mumbled, her expression a mix of guilt and resolve. "Why did I not think of that?"

"You will still be able to perform your strongest attacks, but at a reduced energy output level." Sailor Pluto watched the distrust flicker in Makoto's eyes, knowing she was still wary.

"Won't that make our attacks weaker?" Makoto asked.

"No," she said.

Ami spoke up before Makoto could blurt something rude to Sailor Pluto, who remained unfazed. "Our attacks are based mostly on planetary elemental control, not raw energy expenditure. The only person whose attacks are directly correlated to her power levels is Usagi, and her attacks are largely purification attacks that heal the target." Makoto still looked disgruntled, but she crossed her arms and remained silent. "What about the Sailor Planet attack, or lending powers with Usagi?"

"Those will be consequently reduced," Pluto admitted without shame in her tone. "You will have to rely more on your ability as warriors to compensate for the loss."

Ami nodded while Makoto still looked like she wanted to bark something foul. Usagi noticed it too and she put a restraining arm on Makoto's knee. Reaching forward, Ami dropped her Super transformation rod into Pluto's palm while taking her unadorned wand back from her. Makoto let out a sigh before following suit.

"I still think you should have helped us with Metallia," Makoto said, putting her old wand back into her subspace pocket, "But you probably had your reasons." Pluto gave her another knowing smile. "And now I have an excuse to force these shrimps come to Muay Thai lessons with me."

"What?" said Ami, turning wide eyes onto Makoto. "She never said we had to do that!"

"Yeah well how else are we supposed to improve our technique as warriors?"

"I was planning upon improving my visor so that I can analyze data faster at a battle and come up with attack formation strategies..." Ami confessed, shifting slightly. "Not train in martial arts."

"Psht," Makoto waved her off, noticing Usagi was covering her laughter with her hands. "Hey don't think you're off the hook just because you're the one we're guarding!"

"Hah! I am because I can still match my original power level," Usagi crowed, grinning. "There there, Ami, I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Well Usagi, you may be able to perform at the same skill level for energy but with your entire guard functioning on less, you will also need to improve on your ability as a soldier." Ami laughed at the face Usagi gave her. "Which reminds me, have you already given these wands to the other two...?" Ami trailed off when she noticed Sailor Pluto had vanished back into the mists.

"How does she do that?" Usagi marveled, watching the mist retreat from the room.

oOoOoOo

When Minako and Rei turned to head back inside they found company behind them. "Sailor Pluto!" Minako smiled in greeting. Rei gave a weaker reciprocation, although she didn't register surprise as Minako had.

"I'm here to exchange your wands," Pluto extended their original transformation pens towards them. "The others will explain why it is essential."

Shrugging her shoulders, Minako pulled hers from her subspace pocket dropping it into Pluto's hand while Rei did the same. "What, no ominous words about the future?" Minako teased. They both took the proffered wands from Pluto.

"Not today." Pluto gave Rei a genuine look of empathy, and Rei saw there was something else glittering in her eyes; something akin to forlorn tragedy. "I'm sorry for your loss." Rei nodded.

Raising her staff above her head, the garnet orb began to glow as a stream of light shown down through the roof where a warp had opened up. The light swallowed the senshi before their eyes.

"She has got to teach me how to do that."

As they reentered the foyer room, Rei caught Ami's gaze. Ami was trying to hide her emotions, Rei could tell, but her second sight let her see them as plain as if Ami were a child. Bending over where she sat, Rei kept eye contact with her. "I'm sorry Ami, I shouldn't have done that."

Ami nodded, but she didn't smile. "It's fine."

"It's not fine. I shouldn't have attacked the messenger, I've just been a wreck since grandpa died, and with Yuuichirou being..." Rei trailed off. "I'm sorry Ami."

"Really, it's fine," Ami repeated. Her voice was flat, and Rei didn't buy it for a minute, but Ami continued. "We have other things to discuss. Now that we have a solution to the danger of subjecting others to exposure from powers, we have another problem to address: I came across some information earlier this morning, and I have reason to suspect the material polymorphs are composed of may be toxic to humans."

Makoto's eyes were like saucers. "You mean...?"

"Your miscarriage may have been a direct result of your refusal to remove yourself from battle during your pregnancy," Ami deadpanned. Makoto looked like she'd just been sucker-punched.

"Whether it was because of your powers as Sailor Jupiter, or your slip into the black fluid that first night, it is probable that if you had agreed to stop fighting, the baby might still alive." Ami put her hand out to cover Makoto's, but the brunette pulled her hand away before she could make contact.

Makoto wrapped her arms around herself, moaning softly. "Noo..." Minako put an arm around her, and Makoto made no move to shy away. Ami lowered her head to hide the flash of hurt on her face.

"This toxin...were we all poisoned?" Rei was eager to use this opportunity as an excuse to write off her vision. It had been an ever present torment to her since she'd first seen those cruel violet eyes.

"I cannot say. It is likely that anyone who was in contact with the 'invisibility cells' of the polymorph's epithelial tissue, or the liquid inside of it, has been infected."

"What should I do?" Makoto looked worried as she pushed Minako away. "Am I going to make rest of you sick?"

"I don't have any details on the toxin, and it's too dangerous for me to try and get them from the sample of the polymorph I have. For now, I want to keep scan records on everyone, to make sure nothing drastic happens." Everyone nodded.

"What about the outers?" Usagi asked. It didn't escape Rei's attention that Usagi did not ask about Mamoru.

"I'll do everything I can to reach them," Ami promised. "But right now the best thing we can do is try to keep ourselves out of proximity to the polymorphs. As best we can. Were there any changes to the polymorphs at the last battles?"

"How did you know?" Minako looked stunned by the question.

"The first polymorph was only a meter or so in height but the second was massive, so I thought maybe the last two polymorphs were equally huge."

Minako shook her head, "They weren't bigger, but they were faster. The third one was like a starfish-thing, and the last one was human-looking."

"That's not good." Ami pulled out her compact, rapidly inputting data. Luna was scrunching up her face in annoyance at having to endure the loud clacking right next to the microphone of the communicator.

"I'll need more information to get a full grasp of things, but it looks like the polymorphs may be evolving at an accelerated rate."

"Evolving how?" Rei asked, wary of the answer.

"Changing to match their opponent's ability," Ami said, "Or even surpass them."

"You're right, that isn't good." Artemis agreed, only having just awoken. "Do we have a countermeasure?"

Ami looked crestfallen. "No. We still don't even have a motive for their attacks, or an origin point."

"This is hopeless," Makoto kept her face lowered. "We don't even know what we're fighting or where it came from, but its getting stronger. And on top of that, we're radioactive to everyone around us!"

"Well not radioactive exactly-" Ami began.

"I'm sick of waiting." Usagi stood up. "We've been waiting for the attacks to happen, I think its about time we took the fight to them."

"We don't even know where they're coming from, Odango," Rei pointed out.

"We know we're the reason people close to us are being hospitalized. We could start there. Heal the ones we've hurt, at the very least…"

"Brilliant plan," Rei drawled, "You go and heal everyone with the Ginzuishou, possibly die doing it, and then we'll come to collect the corpse of our strongest warrior after you're done. Its genius, we can skip right to the part where we all die fighting without you."

Usagi glared at Rei, "We have to do something! Its our fault they're like this in the first place…I could heal them without dying too, I know it!"

"Are you deaf or just really stupid? I said that plan isn't an option." Rei stood up to argue face to face with Usagi.

"And your word is law, is it?" For an instant Rei could swear Usagi's eyes flashed red in her anger.

"My word is that we're not sending you out to DIE just because you feel bad that our powers have hurt people. Don't you get it, you're the one we're suppose to protect!"

"I get it, alright! You'd rather wait 'til everyone we love dies than let me risk healing them. Well surprise, it isn't up to you!"

"Usagi, I don't think it's a good id-" Rei cut Ami off midsentence.

"You're right, I would let Tokyo burn if it kept you from throwing your life away like this. Without you, this entire world is doomed. But you know if you're so determined to kill yourself, then who am I to stop you! I may even have a knife around here you can use!"

Usagi's eyes watered at the barb but she stood her ground. "I'm through with sitting and waiting for the next attack, do what you want but don't bother including me! I'm going to put an end to this!" With that she turned and sped out of the temple.

"Fine by me!" Rei screamed after her.

"Rei-chan…" Ami whispered.

"What!" Rei snapped, eyes burning with unshed tears. "Don't tell me you agree with that idiot."

"I don't agree with her, but I don't agree with you either. You didn't need to tell her so harshly…"

"Yes, I did." Rei sat back down, folding her hands in her lap. "Better she hear it now than do something she'll regret later."

"You need to apologize." Minako ordered.

"Oh no, not you too!" Rei held up an exasperated hand to cover her eyes. "She's so dense sometimes… she needs someone willing to beat the truth into her head."

"But driving her away won't help anyone." Ami's quiet voice rang louder than all of Rei's screaming had.

A long minute of silence passed over the girls.

Finally Minako spoke up. "I have a bad feeling about all of this."

Makoto nodded. "Me too. Someone should go after her."

Rei fumed in silence as all the eyes in the room focused on her. She stayed in resolute silence until the pressure of their stares got to her. "Ugh! Fine, I'll go fetch her." Standing up, she turned to leave.

The beeping of Ami's compact stopped her. "What now?"

Ami's eyes were as wide as saucers as she skimmed the readings. "We're already too late." She looked up at the others. "She's doing it."

oOoOoOo

She reached the hospital before the other girls. She knew it wouldn't be long until Ami arrived to visit her mother, or Rei came to check on Yuuichirou, or any of them caught up to her after her impromtu exit. The hospital would be closed to visitors in a few hours, and it was already late in the afternoon. She only had precious minutes before Mamoru would feel what she was doing and rush here as well. And she knew that once anyone else got here, they would do everything they could to try and stop her.

Stepping into the main lobby on the ground floor, Usagi asked the receptionist if there were a restroom nearby. After being directed to it, she closed and locked the door. There would only be one chance for her to try this, and given the stakes she needed to get it right the first time. If she failed...well, she didn't want to think about it, but since this was her fault to begin with, she would gladly give her life to fix it, even partway. With the original transformation wands in the hands of all the other girls, she knew that this tragedy would not repeat itself. Her family was the only one who might remain in danger, and if this worked, they would be safe too. Reaching inside herself, Usagi summoned the Ginzuishou.

She could already feel Mamoru reacting through the soul bond, panicked and desperate. She shut him out, concentrating on her goal. With her mind, she spread her aura out to encompass the entire hospital. The Ginzuishou shone like a small star on her chest, its light expanding as she reached for more and more power to cover the building. She could feel the power straining; her link to the crystal wasn't strong enough for her to put out anymore power without risking death. Even before she activated it, she doubted the likelihood of her own survival. She commanded the crystal to use its healing properties. At first it resisted her like a petulant child, pulsing in time to her heart but refusing to heed to her, but she plead with it; begged it until it responded to her request.

Its light careened outwards like a supernova, wrapping around the building, and everyone in it.

Hospital staff, patients and visitors alike all froze as it touched them, responding like animals to a sound in the distance.

Usagi was no exception, and the Ginzuishou's power washed over her like a wave, pleasant to the touch and soothing to the aching she was experiencing from pressing the limits of her own life's energy. The outer radius of her power alerted her to Mamoru's presence. He was inside the building now, rushing towards her location. Her momentary distraction from the healing affects of the crystal was lost with that knowledge, and she immediately went back to focusing on her task.

She could feel the souls of everyone in the building, like constellations within this sea of stars. Some were shining brighter than others, but she worked on replenishing all of them equally. It would take more energy to single out and focus on the few she needed to heal than to extend the same courtesy to everyone in the hospital, anyways. She could hear a banging noise on the edge of her awareness, somewhere back in the body of Usagi. But right now she was a goddess wielding this mystical power like a force of nature, and despite the pain it was wracking her body with, she needed to finish this.

Two floors up, Dr. Mizuno felt her body stop shivering. She felt, oddly at peace with this unnatural warmth that was seeping through her. Looking to the side, she saw the man in the bed next to her was no longer a mass of blood and burnt skin, but a young blonde. They stared at each other in confused rapture, oblivious to everything but the vitality now within them.

Yuuichirou opened his eyes from the coma, and found himself disoriented by his relocation to a hospital bed. Looking down, he saw that his hands were no longer singed and raw, but smooth and bronze, as they were two months ago. A few yards away, three members of the Tsukino family were sleeping peacefully after a night of restless tossing.

In the bathroom stall, Usagi had her eyes wide open, jaw slack and limbs trembling from the sensory overload. Her outfit was ancient, a white garment from a millennia long past, with pearls strung around her skin like tattoos.

Mamoru threw his weight into the door of the stall. Everyone around him was still too dazed from the crystal's energy to notice the dark-haired man attempting to rip through the metal door of the lady's room. He slammed into it again with a vengeance. With a loud bang the door surrendered, crashing to the floor and knocking the woman behind it down underneath it.

Ripped from her higher plane, Usagi tumbled back into her body end over end. When she landed, she could feel the acid under her skin just as clearly as the door on top of her. It burned her from the inside out, and she whimpered in pain, unaware of the arms pulling her out from underneath the door, holding her up. The crystal still held itself in front of her, still twinkling with its former radiant light.

Outside, people were befuddled, still standing in a daze. The few that had gathered their wits were too awed by the miraculous recovery around them, or in some cases, in themselves, to pay attention to the couple.

Mamoru was crying, Usagi could hear him now. He was calling her name in a mantra, rocking her back and forth and telling her she was a beautiful idiot. Usagi felt too light-headed and tired to speak, but she opened up large blue eyes to see him one last time. Her final thought before she faded into night was how she was definitely going to forgive him if she came out of this alive.

The crystal spasmed as it attempted to re-enter her body, before finally stilling in its spirals above her chest.

The light of the Ginzuishou, which had been glowing like a myriad of fireflies went out like a dying light bulb. Unlike previous times when Usagi had used the Ginzuishou, where the light faded to nothing and left a crystalline flower, shadows fell over the crystal, driving away the last glimmer of light. They refracted off its surface, but did not enter the crystal that now looked more like glass rather than the jewel it was.

A curtain fell over Usagi's body, still encased within Mamoru's arms. Her skin was slippery, and her clothes were melting off as though they had been made with butter. Feeling the heat radiating up through his arms, Mamoru released her, watching in confusion as she transformed.

Her body rippled, hair buried beneath fragments of her destroyed dress. When it steadied again, Usagi had physically changed. She stood up, unharmed, and turned to look at Mamoru who still sat crouched on the floor of the tiny stall.

She looked like a fallen angel. Her figure was curvaceous and short, her hair made of unbound glistening gold and her skin pale. Her outfit was simple and yet ancient, a semi-transparent dress that curled in on her form. It went down to her ankles, where her feet rested bare. The crystal still floated at her chest, loyal but unresponsive, with its light gone. All her ornaments had slid off with her gown, and now rested in piles and puddles by her sides.

It was her eyes that betrayed her.

They were hollow, devoid of warmth. Crimson irises guarded flickering shadows of pupils, which moved with unnatural life in the depth of her deadened gaze. Insanity lurked beneath those eyes, guarded only by thick black lashes. Closer inspection revealed her skin to glow with ethereal power, along with the presence of sharpened tips to her canines, poisoning her otherwise beautiful smile. If anything, it was a demon lurking in the guise of an angel. It was hard to distinguish where the demon began and the façade ended.

Usagi's perfect lips parted and she spoke in a voice too sultry to be her own. "Writhe for me."

Mamoru's world shattered with the pain. His body was convulsing, in his mind he was screaming but the pain was so intense no sound escaped. A demented smile came to this new Usagi's face, as she funneled hot agony out through her hands. The steam bursts pelted him again and again. Smoke was rising from where his flesh was being burnt off to the bone.

The possessed Usagi stepped outside, gave a bored glance at the many humans gawking at her and moved for the exit, leaving Mamoru behind in critical condition.

What the demon didn't know was that Mamoru's connection to the golden crystal was already healing him. And that this place it had been released into was a hospital.

Even lying crippled on the floor, Mamoru managed to groan out a word.

"Usako..."

His weak gasp went unheard.

She was already long gone.

oOoOoOo

The original Usagi awoke to find herself in a dark void, trapped within the confines of her own mind. For a moment she pondered if this was the afterlife, before venturing forward. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill as she walked, looking back and forth in the hope that she might see something pas the blackness. When she smacked into something, she stopped to rub her head and feel the wall in front of her.

Pressing against the nonexistent walls, she found that with effort she could see through her usurper's eyes. It faded in and out like a fever dream, but the glimpses she saw were violent. She wanted to cry out in horror as she watched herself ruthlessly torture Mamoru. There was no sound in this place though, and so she couldn't hear the delighted giggles her other self was releasing. If this was indeed the next world, she was in hell.

She pounded on the barrier, only for something cold and wriggling to wrap itself in a noose around her. Frozen in terror, she tried to fight off the new foe, only for it to coil tighter, until she couldn't move. The pictures in front of her were still playing, but as the restraint pulled her hand away she was cast back into the empty black space. She opened her mouth in a scream, but nothing came out.

And the more she struggled, the more pressure the worming substance pressed down on her.

Wild blue eyes flitted around the abyss, no longer seeing even glimmers of the reality outside it. The cold seeped through her like ice in her veins, passing through her skin and bones until she was trembling from it. Numbness was starting to sink into her limbs, but Usagi rebelled against it, throwing all her strength into another desperate attempt to free herself from her invisible captor.

As her muscle strained, the crawling sensation seemed to stop. She realized too late it was only because she could no longer feel sensation with her skin.

With another thought, she summoned the Ginzuishou. It did not appear.

Again she called for it, but the Ginzuishou was nowhere to be found.

Terrified, defeated, and alone, Usagi felt her mind beginning to suffer from the searing cold as well, her thoughts sluggish and thick. She was so tired, spent from harnessing the power of the Ginzuishou and trying to physically force off this unmovable binding. Closing her eyes, she gave in to the temptation to rest.

oOoOoOo

Usagi found the highest perch she could, and with some effort, brought herself to the top of it. "Such a dirty little place," she cooed, palming a blast of boiling energy before thrusting down onto the buildings below. A pit of destruction opened up where the attack hit, the side of an industrial building resisting with a pained groan before topping sideways into the residential district beside it. Her loose waves of hair billowed out in front of her as she tossed another careless attack down. "Home sweet home." She threw more balls of condensed steam, this time ripping holes into the rail work of Japan's bullet train. The monorail suspended on it lurched forward as the structure collapsed beneath it, crashing into the buildings below.

Reaching out, she wrapped her hands around the steel lattice of the tower, giving it a good shake. "What a nice present," she hummed to herself, swinging her body onto the opposite side of the metal and hooking her feet onto the cross-section of the triangle below it. With a forceful shove, she dislodged the red beam, before yanking it toward herself. As she gripped the loose metal, it bent back under her weight, lurching as another support further down tore itself free. She released another blast into the architecture, burning a hole through the foundation.

With a laugh, Usagi released her hold on the bar, dangling from the tower by her knees, like a child on monkey bars. Tokyo Tower was protesting her swaying with loud moans, the poles of metal falling further down as another support loosened. Strands of blonde drew her eyes downward, towards the wrecked city hundreds of feet below. Smirking, she dislodged one knee from the tower beam, then the other.

Usagi plummeted down.

She spun as she dropped down at frightening speeds, the world pirouetting and zooming up to meet her. She laughed, firing off another steaming burst at the ground to slow her momentum precious seconds before she slammed into the cement. A crater formed from the impact, as if a meteor had fallen instead of a body.

Sucking in a lungful of dust, Usagi picked herself up from the center, brushing herself off and flexing her limbs. "Not bad…" She ground her foot in the cracked concrete, wriggling her toes as she stepped over of the raised circumference she'd created.

"What a rush! I should have done this a long time ago!" Reaching her arms heavenward, Usagi twirled in place, coming to a sudden stop, her gaze narrowed on a distant figure.

Prince Endymion was the first unlucky enough to reach her.

"Usako…" he drew his sword, as a precaution more than a threat.

She frowned at him, croaking out "Mamo…chan…" She took a faltering step towards him, reaching a hand out to his face. Endymion reached up to cup her cheek in response. In that moment, she took advantage of his proximity made a grab for his sword. Before he could register the deception, she had firmly wrapped her hands around the blade, her skin ripping open where it met the edge of the sword.

He yanked the weapon away from her, careful not to rend her fingers. Usagi spun around again, ignoring him as she lost herself in crazed laughter again. She was freely bleeding from both palms, but it was too dark to be blood.

Prince Endymion staggered forward, and the red-eyed woman stopped long enough to see he was no longer alone. Colored warriors were running in to aid him from behind.

"Immune to my charms?" It would have been teasing if Usagi hadn't followed the statement by picking up a rebar, and holding it like one would a spear. "I think you'll enjoy this next trick," before he could think to dodge, Usagi lunged forward, stabbing him through the shoulder. He coughed up blood, falling to his knees. She gave a wicked smile, ripping the weapon from his gaping wound and giving it a twirl. Mamoru let out a throaty yell of pain.

"Usako," he rasped, falling forward face down.

Fetching his sword from its sheath, Usagi raised it to her lips, sliding her tongue across it. She smiled, her eyes glittering with reflected light from the blade. "Tastes just like chicken." Jamming the sword into his side, she left it lodged while she took a step back, licking the spatters of blood off her fingers. "I'll have more fun with you later...if you're still alive." She turned to face the newcomers, a band of familiar girls in pleated skirts of different shades.

Venus did a double take at the figure before her. "Usagi-chan?"

Her expression was purely vicious as she began circling them like a predator. The blue one had rushed forward to check on the man she'd impaled, and was bent over him with a small device. "I don't think we've been introduced," Usagi drawled. "I," she rose on talon-like nail to point at herself, "am me." She let out another giggle. "And you," her eyes narrowed to slits as she hissed "are the bitches who killed my father."

"Your father?" Jupiter threw a confused look to the others. "Who was your father?"

"She is a child of Chaos," the images from her vision were beginning to click together in Mar's mind as she spoke. "You were the one I saw, the betrayer."

"WRONG!" Usagi screamed, hurling a sloppy attack at Mars. "You are the traitors! I am the one who leads you to that dark stream, but I can't force a fool to drink. You blame me for your own inability."

"What are you?" Mars breathed, standing up from her lunge to dodge the attack.

Artemis spoke up from the sidelines, his tone grave "That is Corruption. And she's taken Usagi-chan."

"Give the cat a prize," Usagi taunted, already forming another ball of steam in her hands.

"Is it a parasite then?" Jupiter asked, cracking her knuckles.

"Closer to a possession," Mercury said, scanning the woman even as it mangled her computer's readings.

Jupiter was still tense, lips pressed together. "So how do we snap Usagi out of it?"

"Usagi-chan," Venus pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears at this demented version of her best friend. "Please..."

"Please what?" She wound a strand of blonde hair around her fingers, still watching them like a hawk. "More please?" Before Mars could register the danger with her precognition Usagi was already lunging towards Venus, nails extended while throwing the steam burst at Jupiter.

"How do we do this without endangering the Ginzuishou!" Jupiter shouted as he dodged the attack. Venus wasn't so lucky, and swung a roundhouse at Usagi's head in retaliation for the deep red scratches across her stomach.

"And without hurting Usagi!" Venus added, ducking another attack from Usagi and taking hold of her arm to propel the smaller girl over her shoulder using her forward momentum against her.

"Try a ward, Mars! Everyone else, stick with physical or weak magical attacks! We don't know what might harm the crystal, or Usagi!" Luna had jumped down to stand beside Artemis, both of whom were situated beneath the wrecked tower.

"Ren Pyo..." Rei pulled forth a ward, beginning the incantation to imbue it with holy energy as the others fought.

"Peachy keen," muttered Jupiter as she charged headlong towards the fallen comrade.

"Please, Rei-chan…" Usagi looked at her best friend, eyes wet. "Help me…don't hurt me, please." Mars lowered her ward, looking instead to see if she could read Usagi with her second sight.

In that moment of hesitation, Usagi blew a hole in Mars' shoulder with another orb of boiling power. Mars flinched but endured the pain without screaming.

Usagi devolved into another fit of laughter.

Meanwhile Mercury had her compact out, but it was difficult to determine the extent of Endymion's injury while she was focused on not turning her back to the threat before her; the threat that was her best friend. Compounding this, it was a challenge trying to make sense of the wild readings she was getting from her scanners every time they picked up Usagi's energy. It was like an antimagnetic field, or a computer virus, and every few seconds her screen would scramble and then reorder itself. Frustrated, she set it down on the ground, tearing off the bow of her uniform and wadding it up. Putting pressure down on the gaping wound on his shoulder, Mamoru groaned in pain, shifting to try and get away from her. "None of that," she said, pushing him back with her elbow. "Just be still, you'll lose too much blood." Even without her computer, Ami could tell that Mamoru's golden crystal was already healing his body by the glowing shell that was stuck a few centimeters above his skin. "Stay awake," she ordered, keeping one hand firmly on the bow's fabric while she ripped off her collar with her free hand. With some effort, she managed to loop it over his head and under his opposite arm, effectively holding the bow in place while she moved to work on the injury on his side.

Sailor Mars was brandishing a ward, and Jupiter was already moving around to try and get a hit in on her blind side. Venus managed to call out "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" It was a strong attack, but she knew Usagi would dodge it even with their close proximity. The uppercut kick she received from Jupiter was a surprise, and she staggered forward from the blow. And as she did, Mars hurled the ward at her, where it stuck to her forehead.

Momentarily stunned, Usagi stood still like a statue. Sailor Venus pressed their advantage and called for her chain, wrapping it around the imposter.

Usagi was snarling then, straining and wriggling to try and loosen the binding. Venus tightened her grip, using her full strength to keep a hold of the demon.

"Why isn't the ward working?" She asked, feeling her wrists beginning to ache.

"It's not a simple demon possession," shouted Luna, who was safely watching from her perch on a nearby telephone pole. "Usagi's been poisoned over the past week, she's weaker than ever. We'll have to weaken the demon, before attempting to free Usagi; otherwise we won't stand a chance at bringing her back." Usagi was begging for release now, pleading with them in the demon's version of Usagi's voice. Jupiter seemed hesitant to perform anymore physical attacks on her best friend, but Mars was not about to fall for the same ruse twice.

She had to be sure though, so she looked to Mercury, who was still guarding the prone form of Mamoru. "Is this the only way to stop it?" Mercury was still struggling to get her computer readouts to stay in place on her screen, but she nodded.

With that, Mars summoned up the power of fire from within her, "Mars...Flame," She pulled up the arrow that had materialized in front of her, aiming at Usagi's shoulder a few inches above the darkened crystal that still lingered by her chest. Usagi was desperate to be released, and Mars could tell by the grimace on Venus' face that she wouldn't be able to hold her for much longer. Eyes locked on her wide-eyed target, Mars prayed to all the deities she held sacred that she wouldn't miss.

"SNIPER!" She loosed the arrow, which barreled forward, wreathed in flame. Seconds ticked by like hours.

The projectile collided with Usagi's upper arm, and she let out a bestial roar of rage. With a mighty lurch, she ripped free of the chain, which sent Venus spiraling into a building. A thick black substance, what Mercury would later declare to be the same as the polymorphs, was oozing from the wound in place of blood. Mars felt like she was going to be sick at the aura coming off her friend, it was more evil than Mistress Nine had ever been.

"That one," Usagi gritted as she tore the shaft of the arrow out of her shoulder with a grunt. "will cost you," she finished, dark promise in her words.

"Flank her!" Venus shouted, picking herself back up from the side of a tourist shop she'd been thrown through.

"Looks like now isn't the best time for speeches." All heads turned to the new arrivals.

"You're right, love. Seems like we have a mess to clean up." Sailor Neptune struck her usual pose, pulling forth her aqua mirror as she did.

"That's what you said last night," Uranus quipped, sword in hand. Pluto and Saturn stood resolute behind them, both holding their talismans at the ready.

Venus and Mars were already surrounding Usagi, with Jupiter in front of her and the crumpled form of Mamoru and Mercury still a few yards to the side.

"You think outnumbering her will be enough?" taunted Usagi. "You're all just dirty little girls. Waiting for someone-."

Jupiter charged her, lightning crackling from her tiara as she unleashed her fists and weakest magic simultaneously. "Oh shut up and fight already!" Usagi laughed as she took the hit, body arching from the voltage and pain. Usagi grabbed Jupiter's arm as she tried to punch her, snapping it in the wrong direction with a sickening crack. Jupiter's let out a hoarse scream as the arm fell limp to her side.

Saturn went to the side to help Mercury, immediately calling up a barrier to protect them from the foray of the battle. His transformation had faded sometime during the battle.

"Some of us like it dirty," Uranus lunged forward to distract Usagi from hurting Jupiter further. Jupiter went to the side with Saturn and Mercury as Uranus and Neptune covered for her.

Meanwhile Pluto hung back, observing everything from a safe distance.

Venus held up three fingers in the air, ticking them off slowly as Uranus battled Usagi. She seemed to be having better luck than Jupiter, as the length of the scabbard was keeping Usagi at a far enough proximity to be unable to throw any counter attacks but close enough not to have time to waste on throwing around scalding balls of energy.

As Venus put her last finger down, Mars and Neptune took her signal and powered up their own attacks as Venus summoned her chain again.

"Fire Soul!"

"Submarine Reflection!"

This time Usagi screamed as the fire and light burned her on both fronts. Meanwhile Venus' chains wound themselves tight around her midsection, pinning her arms.

Saturn looked up to see that Pluto had moved herself closer to the battle, but seemed to be staring at something higher up than the others. Even as she turned to get a better look, Pluto began to spring forward towards the possessed Usagi. Time always ran at a strange pace around its guardian, but now more than ever Saturn could see the entire thing happen in slow motion. It all happened in less than five seconds.

A piece of the tower had been hit with the leftover from Sailor Mars and Neptune's attacks, and it had knocked out one of the few remaining support beams from beneath the tower. The whole structure gave an eerie moan as it began to collapse forward.

Venus looked upward in time to see the falling metal. Like a stunned animal she stared up at the impending death for precious seconds before reacting.

Usagi was still prone inside Venus' chain, with Mars, Jupiter and Uranus beside her. She was too focused on struggling to see the falling tower, even as the other senshi used their adrenaline to jump away. The top third of the tower was careening down at an alarming rate, and Usagi was still trapped, unable to escape.

Releasing her hold on the chain, Venus sprinted away before somersaulting to relative safety.

The last glimpse Saturn had was of Pluto lunging forward towards Usagi.

The tower gave one final lurch before it crashed into the cement. The world exploded in dust.

When time resumed, rubble was everywhere from the fragments of the destroyed tower and the buildings it had impacted around it. Mars, Neptune and Uranus were picking through the rubble to find Pluto and Usagi. The silence wall had prevented Mamoru, Mercury and Saturn from taking any damage, although testament to the collapse lay around them in a sphere of debris.

"Pluto!" Neptune lifted a rock pinning a suspiciously tanned leg. Uranus went to help her and together they dragged Pluto's body out of the rubble. Beneath her, Usagi was coughing, but seemed unharmed. Saturn knew that it wouldn't be long before she was recovered enough to go on the offensive again.

"What was she thinking!" Uranus seethed, as Neptune checked Pluto's vital signs.

"She's breathing, but unconscious. Get her over to Mercury." Uranus nodded, scooping up the prone form of Sailor Pluto and dashing her towards their small circle of shelter.

oOoOoOo

It felt wrong.

She had accepted the inevitability of death, the unpredictability of life and the hardships that came with the combination. She recognized her relative insignificance and inherent personal flaws. And her understanding left her with the disposition of an optimistic fatalist, never taking anything for granted.

She wasn't pompous enough to think that this paranoid state of readiness for disaster would save her, or anyone else for that matter.

She wasn't about to ignore her intuition, however.

And right now it was screaming that this was wrong.

Just as suddenly as the feeling had come, everything clicked into place. She knew what needed to be done.

She realized why she had been reborn. Saturn knew, in that instant, what she had to do.

She didn't hesitate.

With as much speed as her small frame could muster, she charged forward, glaive extended. Her movements were fluid, her aim precise. Mars was screaming denials behind her, and it sounded as if the others were already moving to stop her. She had the advantage of a head start, and they would not reach her before she reached her target.

When she got within twenty feet of Usagi, she leapt into the air, flipping the glaive so the blunt end was forward. She slammed the end of the weapon into Usagi's injured shoulder, forcing the woman to fall backwards under her weight and momentum. Not wasting a second, Hotaru shifted the glaive horizontal, hands poised on either end. With inhuman strength, she tore the staff in half. For a second all she registered was pain, as the bond between herself and her talisman broke with it. Shoving the pain aside, she hurled the sharp half of the talisman towards the advancing senshi, all of them intent on stopping her from what they assumed she was about to do. She heard someone cry out in pain, the pointed edge had probably collided with them, but she had only precious milliseconds to act before Usagi recovered herself. She didn't have time to look back at them. Straddling the blonde, Saturn pinned Usagi down before she could react.

Slamming her hands down on Usagi's chest where the Ginzuishou still rested, she channeled all her remaining energy through them.

It burned like white agony to physically touch the crystal, even in its weakened state, but there was no time and no other choice. The evil inside Usagi was cursing profanity and all manner of hexes out Usagi's mouth, still bound beneath the younger girl's weight.

The Ginzuishou was reacting violently to this bombardment of evil within its host and power being forced into it from outside. It was spasming beneath her hands. For a moment she worried it would crack, or even break.

Glowing violet energy spread out from her fingers as she tried to coax the crystal, but it was not as receptive to her power as it had been when Saturn had given her powers to Usagi prior. Perhaps because the power she poured out of herself and into Usagi was not her senshi's power, but her own life energy, through her talents as a healer.

She was the only one left with this ability now that Mamoru was on the edge of death. There was a good chance this wouldn't even work. She had no bond with the crystal, and she could already tell it was rejecting her presence. But this was the only chance they had, and so she put her whole heart into it.

Damn the consequences.

The Ginzuishou was glowing again, fainter than its usual shine, but stronger than it had been. Its prismatic radiance was returning.

It was difficult to concentrate now that her talisman was shattered, but she reached for the power it was leaking as well. Breaking her most powerful artifact was traumatic, but there was no other way to release its power without using her final attack. Drawing upon that kind of power was too dangerous, even for her, and especially when there was so much at stake.

Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa would probably never forgive her. She wondered if Setsuna would cry.

She could smell her hands burning, her arms beginning to seize up from proximity to the Ginzuishou's energy. Desperate, she bit down the intense pain and focused on the crystal.

It was twinkling now, more blinding with each breath Saturn drew. And each breath was coming in more ragged, more shallow, and more slowly. The light was dimmer, but she knew it was due to her own vision fading, not the Ginzuishou's power. Her transformation fell away like shards of broken glass, leaving Hotaru exposed in her civilian form.

Feeling the last of her strength ebbing out, Hotaru fell face forward on top of the still prone Usagi. The world was very dark, but she knew she had done everything she could. With her last thought, she prayed it would be enough.

The earth stopped spinning for Haruka and Michiru.

Horror-struck, Sailor Uranus felt rage and loss so great she could not blink. Her aura was flaring dangerously and Sailor Mars sent a wary glance towards her before turning back to watch Usagi. The crystal was still rotating in slow circles above her chest, its light partially hidden underneath Hotaru's small frame.

"HOOTAARUU!" Sailor Neptune screamed, breaking out of her trance and rushing forward to where Sailor Saturn had flopped over on top of Usagi. Her grief was fathomless, mother's love overcoming her survival instincts. As she dashed towards them, she could see something black was coming out of Usagi's mouth as she hacked and wheezed, still trapped beneath Hotaru. Disgusted by the sight of the parasite, Neptune reached out to gather her daughter's body in her arms. The liquid was pooling around Hotaru's corpse, slick like oil.

That was when Hotaru began to glow.

Before she could react, Sailor Neptune was flung back several yards before she collided with a building, leaving a large indent in the metal. Startled out of her shock, Sailor Uranus ran to aid her partner.

Something was spiraling around Hotaru's body, dark and sinister.

Rising up on unseen currents, the teenaged girl's body hung in the air. Her fuku reappeared, violet cloth now stained black. Her eyes swept over the others, an unseeing ebony. Unlike Usagi's possession, she did not speak.

The silence glaive hovered before her, fully intact. Its metal was no longer silver, but charcoal in hue, the sheen of its tip an ominous gray. Sailor Saturn took the blade, and raised it above her head.

All noise stopped.

The air was devoid of bird's chattering or even the rustle of leaves or insects. The oppressive silence reigned while the senshi watched the scene unfold, unsure of how to proceed.

A steady wind was building. Slow at first, it quickened as though its tempo were set to a pace always one stage ahead of it. Sailor Uranus turned her head as if someone had called her name, listening while helping Sailor Neptune to stand despite her grievous injuries. Neptune's teal skirt was almost completely brown, dyed with her own blood. She would not be able to contribute to this fight anymore.

The wind was picking up speed and force, and it battered at anything in its path, including the soldiers who still remained standing. Mercury could barely keep her footing, and Mars was bracing herself against it in vain. Mars' sixth sense was buzzing beneath her skin, ready to burst in forewarning. Both senshi looked like they might fall over with the slightest push. Sailor Jupiter and Venus were faring better, Venus had her chain secured around a lamppost and Jupiter's innate strength was helping her stay grounded. Usagi, however, was still untransformed, and without the excess energy, she was clinging to a piece of the fallen tower to avoid being picked up by the wind and flung away with the debris.

Sailor Saturn was beyond them, in a universe of her own making. She levitated a few feet off the ground as dark clouds spiraled above her. They rumbled with warning, and Jupiter felt her hair's standing up at the unnatural flashes of lightning. The wind was a tornado around her, tendrils of Saturn's hair and clothing were being whipping around with it. Her eyes were still shut, her expression one of a lifeless doll.

Over the growing roar of nature's anger, Usagi could hear her lethal whisper.

"Death..." she intoned, glaive poised to the epicenter of the storm.

Usagi's eyes widened in realized horror. She was too weak to use the Ginzuishou to stop her, and the others were too far away to reach Sailor Saturn in time to stop her.

From her expression, the others gathered what she had already guessed. Jupiter took a firm few steps forward against the onslaught, Mars went tumbling end over end for her effort. Using the chain like a harness, Venus was pulling herself forward, but not fast enough.

Sailor Uranus caught Neptune's eyes, and an understanding passed between them in that moment. Neptune lowered her face, and Sailor Uranus turned to face the harbinger that was their adopted daughter. A thousand thoughts were scattered to the wind as indecision consumed her in that moment, before it was shoved down beneath the unforgiving warrior.

Sailor Saturn opened her eyes, irises black like her weapon, which was now held diagonally in front of herself. The talisman dwarfed her, twice her size in height. "Reborn..." Her voice was drowned out in the cacophony around her, as the tip of the glaive caught the shadows from above. It seemed to absorb all light around it. Uranus was already running towards her, unhindered by the buffeting of the cyclonal winds. They were hers to manipulate, her element of control.

Sailor Jupiter was still making her way forward at a snail's pace, with Venus now halfway up the length of her chain.

"REVO-"

Giving one final lunge, Sailor Uranus leapt towards Saturn, pulling forth her own talisman. The blade was stark white against the smoke and shadow. Steel eyes met cruel violet as Uranus' upward lunge bore down under gravity's force. Before Saturn could finish her attack, Uranus plunged the scabbard into her midsection.

Black blood seeped from the wound, blanketing the sword's hilt. Sailor Saturn did not register the blow, or the pain, but the same black fluid was creeping out of the corner of her mouth as she choked out on her dying breath "lut..."

Uranus didn't give her a chance to finish. Her eyes were cold as she sliced her foster daughter's upper body in half, the holy glow rending through bone and flesh alike. The power that had been gathering in the area blew away with the dissipating clouds in an outward burst of wind.

Sailor Saturn's corpse fell in a bloodied heap to the ground, Sailor Uranus standing atop her, still clutching the dripping sword.

Usagi was staggering to her feet now, her voice submerged in fatigue as she called out her transformation. Someone was whispering denials, and Uranus recognized the voice as belonging to Neptune. Venus was already rushing forward to try and stop Usagi from exhausting what little power remained in her.

"Moon, Healing," she paused to cough, bent over halfway. Venus was there then, holding her wrist in a firm grip.

"You can't," she pleaded, eyes on her friends. "You don't have enough power right now." Jupiter had moved forward too, but she was hindered by the injury to her arm.

Eternal Sailor Moon looked at her, then back to Saturns's body. Her mind was already set. "Escalation," she whispered.

Everyone in the area held their breath.

But no light came from her scepter. Frustrated by her inadequacy, Usagi tried again with more vigor, "Moon Healing Escalation!" Still nothing happened. Uranus had seen this happen the last time Moon had been determined to save Saturn, and she wasn't going to wait around for her princess to finally succeed at martyring herself.

Stepping out of the carnage, she clamped a bloodied glove over Moon's mouth. The blood was drying now, lightening from insidious black to foreboding red. "Don't," Uranus threatened. Grey eyes like steel bore into her. Venus was attempting to pry the wand from her grip, but it was difficult since one of her wrists was fractured. Usagi was trying to talk around the hand, and Uranus pressed down harder, ignorant to the level of force she was applying.

Mercury moved forward to stop her. "She's too weak!" She said, pulling Uranus away. Venus had already procured the scepter, and she tossed it to Mars who still stood a few yards away. Like a puppet with no strings, Sailor Moon's transformation fell with her form as Uranus released her. She beat the ground with her fist, wailing her despair to the skies.

oOoOoOo

It was nearing dawn when she looked out across the rooftop at the city of Tokyo. Or at least, what remained of the city of Tokyo.

The predawn light cast an eerie blue hue over the wreckage, shattered pieces of concrete strewn farther than her eyesight could reach. The once-towering multiplexes lay at her feet, shards of glass and overturned telephone poles surrounding them like a coffin. Her eyes searched for light, but she knew there would be none left in this wasteland, only more fires than there were people to extinguish them. Instead she turned to watch the horizon, waiting on the sun.

The bustling district was nothing more than a broken shell of itself, torn asunder and then abandoned in chaos. Listening from her rooftop perch, she could hear the sounds of sirens from three different directions, above the screams of the survivors turned scavengers below. The few buildings that withstood the devastation were now being raided. There were more dead than alive, and the dismal mass of survivors wailed their pain to the skies. Whether it was pain from injury or loss was anyone's guess.

It was almost time now; the sun was brushing the horizon. Standing, she turned towards the ruins of Tokyo tower behind her, moving with labored grace as she jumped from one chunk of debris to another. Coming to a stop at the base of the deformed tower, she nodded to the others who had already arrived, or never left.

Sailor Jupiter was in worse shape than Mars, who stood beside her. Both of their uniforms were torn beyond repair, drenched in their own, or their sister-in-combat's blood. Jupiter's left arm hung limply at her side; even Mercury hadn't been sure whether or not she would ever regain the use of it. Mars wasn't much better off, with a gaping wound on her shoulder and a deep gash on her thigh, she would definitely scar. Thick colored bandages, made from the senshi's skirts, held Jupiter's arm in a makeshift sling and kept Mars from bleeding to death. Mercury was still scanning the ruined concreted and metal, ensuring that the enemy was truly gone. Out of everyone, Mercury was the least injured.

A few yards away, Saturn's body lay on a slab of twisted metal from the fallen tower, with Pluto standing over it weeping. From here Hotaru looked like a broken doll, a mangled heap of limbs. She looked away, unable to bear the sight again. Who had raised her body off the ground up onto the metal was clear by the red brand running up the side of Pluto's white bodysuit.

Usagi and Mamoru were not back yet, they were probably sharing a private moment. They were both still very weak from the amount of energy and loss they'd both endured in the fight. Mamoru had been in terrible shape when he'd gone after Usagi when she fled.

Limping forward, she slumped against a nearby bench. Her own wounds weren't quite so significant. The massive headache was painful though. She had suffered a serious blow to the head when she'd landed, and was sporting a sprained ankle and broken wrist from holding onto her chain while the corrupted Usagi broke free from it. Or maybe it was from when the corrupted Saturn had built up a small maelstrom, and she had used her chain as an anchor to keep herself from being thrust away. Injured and exhausted, she wondered if she could even go home. With things with her parents they way they had been this past week, it was unlikely she would be welcomed back.

Jupiter and Mars wandered towards her, while Mercury continued assessing the damage.

"We've been talking," Jupiter began.

"We know your living situation isn't the best right now," Mars continued. "We wanted to let you know you're welcome to stay with either of us anytime." Venus felt her heart swell up in her chest. "Assuming we still have homes somewhere outside of all this -"

Venus grabbed the taller girls, hugging them close as the tears she'd been holding back for hours spilled forth. "I love you guys!" she wailed, clinging to both of them with all her might.

oOoOoOo

They stood side by side, silhouetted against the bloodied dawn on their porch. With the privacy of this location, Michiru had completely broken down. Haruka wasn't much better, but she held the woman with all the strength she could muster.

Michiru was no longer suppressing her cries, her loss so great she thought might lose herself in it. Haruka was going through similar pain, only hanging onto her sanity because of her contact with the woman beside her. As they mourned their loss, the crescent moon sunk lower in the sky.

They stayed like that a while, with Haruka lost in guilt and Michiru lost in grief.

Behind them, Mayu was stirring from a night of slumber. With a chipper bark, it bounded out to join them, oblivious to their grieving. Haruka looked down at the mutt; it was still wearing the bow Hotaru had tied onto one of its ears yesterday. It cocked its head at the tall woman as she bent down, planting a hand on top of the animal's head. She could feel more warmth spilling forth.

"We were supposed to protect her," she muttered, her voice low.

Michiru was clinging to the railing, and she seemed to be supporting her ability to stand with it. She couldn't speak past the sobs that had overcome her, but Haruka thought she heard a few gasped words amidst the howls. It was probably immensely painful to cry, especially if Michiru's ribs were not just bruised, but broken from her earlier injury.

"Who knows," Haruka said, barely above a whisper, scratching the dog's back. "Maybe she'll be reborn again."

Michiru shot her a surprised look; face still drenched with her tears. Haruka was surprised Michiru could hear her over the sound of her own bawling. "Wouldn't that be nice? To be able to raise her in a safer world," Haruka continued, wistful with sorrow in her eyes. She looked down at her hands, eyes dimming. Even now she could feel the sword in her grip still, sliding through her daughter; freeing her from the monster's control, but erasing her life as well. She clenched the hand into a fist. "I'm so sorry firefly."

Michiru was quieter now, after hours of verbalizing her pain. She wrapped her arms around her lover before letting go to look back out over the rail. "We'll be here, when she does come back." Haruka nodded, scooping up the puppy and holding it to her chest. It fidgeted in her grip before settling down. She stood beside her partner, watching the darkness recede.

Bitter tears were still welling up for both of them.

"Sometimes I wonder," Michiru said, her eyes on the stars above, "if the ferryman asks too high a price."

Haruka ran her hands through the fur of the small creature, which was content to let her pet it. The motions had a calming affect on them both. "It's worth it." Michiru didn't turn to look at her, but Haruka could feel her attention shift. "If we can prevent this from happening to someone else, anyone else, it's worth it." Haruka said, eyes fierce. Michiru gave a rueful smile, still searching the sky with her eyes.

"You sound like Usagi. You're getting soft." Haruka didn't have the heart to point out that Michiru had been equally as hurt as she had. She'd let her stay brave.

The clacking of heels alerted them to Setsuna's arrival. She stood behind them for a minute, her own pain masked under her near-immaculate composure.

"You both must hate me," she said, both hands clasped before her. "I hate me right now. But it was necessary. It was necessary. " she repeated, closing her eyes. "If Hotaru lived through this battle, Usagi would have remained possessed by Corruption and Crystal Tokyo would never come to be."

"It wasn't your fault, Setsuna," Michiru gave the older woman a consoling pat.

"Yes, it was. I brought her here knowing she might die. "

"You already know when we all will die, Hota…. "Michiru choked a bit, swallowing bile. "Hotaru's death wasn't your intention."

"In a way it wasn't. But in a way it was. Although she is one of Serenity's senshi, Sailor Saturn is only ever born to bring destruction down on the world. Were she to live through this era into the dawn of Crystal Tokyo, she would be exiled as she was in the Silver Millennium, for fear of her powers.

"Once she reaches maturity, Hotaru is bound by her calling to unleash that devastation, if not before. She can only hold back that power for so long; otherwise her mortal body will be ruined in the effort of restraining it. Do not forget the horrors she suffered during her time with Tomoe, all in a desperate effort to preserve her ailing health. She was growing at a normal rate, and the strain was too much for the vessel. With Galaxia, she was murdered before she was able to end everything-but given time, I guarantee she would have.

"I spoke to her of this, before the battle-"

"You WHAT?" Haruka stood, grabbing Setsuna by her upper arms. "You had no right! She was our daughter, not yours!"

"'Ruka!" Michiru made a move to pull her lover away, but Setsuna continued, ignoring the livid face before her.

"You can shelter her from the harshness of this world, but you cannot deny her from her fate. Hotaru knew she would die, if not in this fight, than in another." Haruka's face was red with anger, but Michiru pried her fingers off of the darker woman, pulling Haruka into her own arms. "Hotaru accepted this."

"What else could she do when it's her 'fate'!" Haruka had both fists balled, and was shaking with emotion. "She was not born to die!" she yelled, jaw twitching in rage.

"She was born to save. A world, a life, or a future, Sailor Saturn is the senshi of rebirth, and she grants life with her death. That… is her fate."

Michiru looked like she might sink into grief again as Haruka fell in a trembling heap to the ground. "Hotaru..." she whimpered.

"So please, if it will ease your suffering in the least, allow me to shoulder the responsibility for bringing her to her fate. " Setsuna took Michiru's hands into her own. "I understand fate better than anyone. " Michiru gave a limp nod.

And in a mysterious way, the pain did throb duller after Setsuna left.

oOoOoOo

Usagi stood at the edge of the ocean, trying to calm her frayed nerves. The consistent inward and outward pull of the tide was soothing, but even as she waded out in to the water until it was up to her knees, she couldn't wash away the images in her head. She wrapped her arms around herself, chilled by the salty breeze and the dirty feeling that hadn't left even after the possession ended. It was still night, and the water was black with white flecks from the moonlight. She couldn't see where the horizon stopped and the sea began in the blackness, it seemed never-ending.

And it seemed familiar.

She wanted to burn the memories, the feelings of being imprisoned within herself and lost in that sea of darkness.

The low hum of the water distracted her from the noise of someone approaching from behind her. Mamoru stood a few yards away, watching her back but not ready to approach her yet.

She closed her eyes. Her legs were going partway numb from the icy temperature of the water. Her hair, still unbound, was floating atop the water like golden oil. She would have to go back soon. The current pulled at her, trying to bring her in, or to take her away.

Turning around, she froze when she saw Mamoru in front of her. She squared her shoulders, wetting her suddenly dry lips. His shirt was split down the front, with a blood stain from the first stabbing. Guilt told her to turn back to the ocean and let it carry her away. But tonight she knew she had to be strong, so she took a breath, and a step forward.

He did not move.

She took another few steps, now only ankle-deep in the ocean. Her body might have been shivering, she was too engaged in the difficulty of avoiding eye contact to notice, and too spent to care.

"I'm sorry."

She looked at him, even though she knew she wouldn't be able to argue if she looked into his eyes. His head was bowed, eyes downcast. He looked like he'd escaped from a war, with stains of suffering running along most of his clothing. She swallowed hard, knowing that she'd been the one to inflict those injuries.

"I'm sorry too."

They could have stood for an eternity like that, feet buried in sand and hearts washed with regret.

But Mamoru took a step forward. That was all the encouragement Usagi needed.

Rushing forward, she fell against his chest as he enfolded her in his arms, chin resting on the shell of her ear. She was crying, but he soothed her, stroking her hair. They stood like that, lost in the comfort of one another until her cries had ceased. Only then did he release her, reaching up to dry her cheeks with the pad of his thumb. She looked up at him, eyes still shiny with unshed tears and her lips parted.

He kissed her forehead, cupping her cheek. She slid her arms around him, moving to rest her head against his chest, listening to his heart.

Blue light was filling the sky, the only indicator to them that time had passed.

"Never again," he ordered, tipping her chin up so she had to face him.

She wasn't sure if he was talking about his actions or hers. "Never again," she agreed.

They shared a kiss, before hesitantly releasing one another. He took her hand in his before she could move away.

"Let's go back together," he said, hooking his elbow with hers.

She smiled for the first time that night, but shook her head at his suggestion.

"There is something I need to do first." She let him follow her lead as she headed back towards the hospital. Comprehension of their destination dawned on Mamoru as they walked.

"Did you finish healing them?"

Usagi nodded, "I think so. I want to be sure though..." Mamoru understood and gave her hand a squeeze of silent support.

"If not, I will try finish it up." She gave him another smile for the offer.

"Finish healing yourself first," she snuck a sideways glance at the wound he still had on his shoulder. "How long do you think it'll be til it heals?"

"Not long now. I had to prioritize healing the more dangerous wounds first, and with Ami's help wrapping up the torso puncture, I should be back to normal in a few days."

The hospital was just opening up as they entered, a team of maintenance workers already hard at work repairing the broken stall door. Mamoru kept his eyes averted and his jacket pulled close over his obvious injuries.

After asking for directions and proving their relation to the Tsukinos, they were directed to a room on the third floor.

Opening the door, Usagi saw that her brother was still sleeping but both her parents were already awake.

"Usagi!" her father greeted, cheered by the sight of her. He sat up in the bed, and Shingo was roused at the loud noise, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Chiba," Kenji's smile dropped as he eyed Mamoru like he might a feral animal.

"Hey," Usagi said, moving forward to sit on the edge of the bed between her mother and Shingo. Mamoru sat down in a side chair, not wanting to intrude on this family moment or wander too close to Kenji. "How are you guys feeling?" They were no longer hooked up to any equipment, and Usagi took this as a positive sign.

"GREAT," Shingo exclaimed with laziness coating his words, pumping a fist in the air. They could all see he was still half asleep. "Can I go home now?"

"He's just anxious to get back to his gaming," her mother explained, shaking her head. Usagi laughed, ruffling his hair. "I feel much better after a full night's rest though, don't you, dear?" Kenji shook his head in agreement.

"When you get home you can game all you want, but first you need to get healthy," Ikuko shook her head at Usagi's declaration.

"Don't promise things you can't deliver, dear. I'm in charge of this house, and I say you both game too much already." Shingo sulked, and Usagi blushed.

"I thought I was in charge of this house?" Kenji questioned, puffing out his chest and frowning.

"Yes, of course you are, dear." Ikuko shared a conspirator's smile with Usagi that Kenji couldn't see from the other end of the room. Usagi held in a laugh.

"When will you all be coming home, anyways?" Usagi ventured, eyes flicking over to Mamoru to see if he was going to heal them any more than she already had. He remained stationary in the chair, fully focused on concealing his own injuries.

"As soon as the doctor comes back...if he comes back," Kenji gave an annoyed scowl to the clock, and then settled it back on Mamoru. Ever suspicious, Kenji turned to Usagi, "What are you doing with him so early in the morning?"

Usagi bit her lip, trying to think of a believable lie. All she could think of was the battle she missed, and waking to find Hotaru's still body above her..."We were just-"

"I took her out to breakfast," Mamoru said, smooth and confident. Kenji looked at him as he was a snake rearing to strike, but seemed to accept the story. Ikuko glanced between them shaking her head, but didn't say anything.

Just then, the door opened as a nurse entered. Seeing that it was crowded in the small room, she stayed by edge of the bed Kenji was in. "You're awake! That's great. The doctor has gotten the results from your blood work," she announced, picking up the charts by the end of the bed and scribbling something onto it. "Be sure to come back within 24 hours if you start to feel ill again, but you're free to leave." Shingo visibly sighed with relief, and Ikuko was already gathering her belongings from the side table.

"Wonderful. We'll be going then," Kenji stood up, and helped Ikuko finish tidying up as the nurse left. Usagi grabbed Shingo some clean clothes out of their overnight bag, offering it to him and turning around to shoot Mamoru a meaningful look. Catching the hint, he stood, bowed to her parents and excused himself. Usagi trailed after him, waving and closing the door behind them.

"It's been a long night," Usagi admitted, rubbing her wrists. Mamoru draped an arm across her shoulder, guiding her into the elevator.

"It's morning now, Usako." He pressed the button for the first floor. "I'm sure things will look brighter once we've slept."

Usagi didn't believe it, but she nodded. "Maybe we'll-" A yawn punctuated what she had been saying. "Man I'm beat. Maybe we should head back, for now." Mamoru steered her towards the exit to the hospital, ignoring the questioning looks several of the staff were sending towards her. If they recognized her, they didn't say anything.

Usagi perked up, "I hope Luna is there. Ami said she came back yesterday." Mamoru smiled. They fell back into their usual rhythm as they walked back to the destroyed tower, putting the past behind them. Neither one said anything, but they were both relieved that there was no lingering dissent between them.

oOoOoOo

They met under the fragmented remnants of the Tokyo Tower. Secret heroes of all elements and colors, still divided, but stronger than they had been a day, or a week, before.

Usagi saw Luna and ran to greet the cat, who was bounding towards her as well. Luna ended the dash with a flying leap, landing in Usagi's arms when she bubbled over with emotion.

"Foolish girl! Can't leave you for a minute! Just like when you were 14..." Her words were muffled by Usagi's sweater, but she was half crying as she spoke, trying to remain strong.

"Shh...Luna it's okay. I'm okay. It wasn't your fault." Luna seemed to take solace in the words, balling up against her charge.

Mamoru approached at a sedentary pace behind Usagi, smiling. Turning to the other girls, he motioned Ami forward.

"I saw your mom leaving the Tokyo General," he said, putting a consoling hand on Ami's shoulder. Ami looked startled but she didn't say anything, or provide him with an explanation. He already had a good enough guess. "You should go home to be with her." Ami nodded, embracing the taller man.

"Thank you," she breathed, as Mamoru tried to ward off the awkwardness of her tight hug.

"Don't mention it."

Rei looked antsy; more antsy than usual, which was saying a lot. "Can we get this over with?"

Usagi nodded. "Ami, would you like to do the honors?"

Stepping forward, Ami cleared her throat. She'd never enjoyed public speaking, but it was even more difficult given the circumstances they'd all been through.

Pulling forth the jar from her subspace pocket, Ami showed it to the others. "Corruption has been temporarily extinguished." She showed the empty contents to everyone present. "Whether this means that we defeated it, or if it retreated I don't know." She pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes before putting the jar back into her trans-dimensional space. "Tokyo is hurting right now from the damage it inflicted during the battle. Any support anyone wants to give I'm sure would be much appreciated by the local authorities. There is a lot of pain and death because of the bullet train's collapse and the fallout from the tower." She glanced back at the ruined landmark. "There have been a lot of casualties...Setsuna has taken Hotaru, I mean…Hotaru's…" she trailed off, swallowing. "She said there will be a service later this week. I'll keep everyone informed. In the meantime, I think it's a good idea for everyone who is able to help restore the city to do so as best we can; mourning can wait for the funeral. Everyone should get checked out for their health first though, I know none of us are in peak condition right now. Sleep would be a good idea too."

The girls nodded, too worn out to argue. It had been a long night, but dawn had finally arrived.

"Does this mean we can skip classes on doctor's orders?" Minako ventured. Usagi's eyes lit up at the notion.

"Nice try, blondie," Rei said.

oOoOoOo

The girls sat on the porch of the Hikawa Jinja, watching the sakura petals fall. It was the start of summer, and they knew there wouldn't be much more time together before they all went their separate ways.

With Ami starting her internship, Makoto applying to culinary school, and Minako taking two quarters off before university to travel, they would soon be separated.

Even given the recent hardships, none of them wanted to see the others go.

It was quiet between them, much was being said, but all of it was unspoken.

Finally, Minako broke the silence. "I feel like we're all growed up."

"Grown," Ami corrected on instinct.

"Yeah," Rei said, wistful as she leaned back against the wall. She felt like the past week had been a bad dream, and now that they were all awake again, they were going to be separated. She wanted very badly to cry.

Usagi noticed the sparkle in her eye and gave the newly-recognized priestess a tight hug. "I'll still be here Rei-chan!" She wailed, clinging to the girl.

With the tranquil mood broken, Rei tried to untangle herself. "Get off me, Odango!" But it was a half-hearted struggle.

"It sure will be lonely off in the U.S. alone," Minako commented.

"I thought you were going back to Europe?" Ami asked.

"I might," she admitted.

"How are you paying for all this?" Makoto wondered aloud.

Minako smiled. "Michiru is sponsoring me." There were several impressed sounds through the group. "She says I'm a natural talent, and that every artist needs to experience the world or something like that."

"She'll take it back when she sees her credit card statement," teased Rei.

Makoto laughed. "Minako will be fine; she's got Artemis with her. How's he doing by the way?"

"Full recovery," Minako reported. "Still milking it though," she added.

"Sounds like him," Usagi agreed, playing with the petals on the ground.

"Yeah, it'll be at least another week before he'll admit he's fine." Everyone smiled. "And Luna?"

"She tried to claw my face off to avoid a bath when she got back. Such a little scaredy-cat..."

Rei had a bittersweet smile. Everything was back to normal, or as normal as it could be without Grandpa and Hotaru.

The wind seemed to hear her thoughts, and rustled the branches to shake loose more petals. She watched them pirouette on the breeze, turning to look towards the torrii where they landed.

It was a bright day, and she couldn't see very well around the porch railing with the sun in her eyes. But standing underneath it, she could make out the shadows of two figures, a short-haired female and an older man. She felt peace stir in her heart. When she squinted to try and focus, they had already faded like a mirage.

She knew who the shadows belonged to, on that dividing line the torrii created between the spiritual realm and reality. "Goodbye," she whispered, feeling for the first time happy memories rise from the statement.

"What was that Rei?" Usagi asked, having heard her mumble something.

"Just talking to the Kami," she said, and Usagi smiled back.

AN: It took 3 times as long as planned to get this chapter done since all 70+ pages of it were destroyed when my old computer's hard drive crapped out. I had to rewrite a large portion of it since I'd only sent my beta-reader a starter copy. In that same vein, some scenes were omitted the second time through, and also please excuse any spelling or grammar errors since this copy I decided to skip the beta-reading stage.

That said, this is the first longfic I've ever finished. I'm pretty proud of it, I think I did all right overall. I promise whatever I write next will have a better villain, but I find canon doesn't leave much space for good new villains since, you know, Chaos is defeated and all. I also promise whatever comes next will have better humor, this fic was really me biting off a little bit more than I could chew in terms of plot.

Sorry for killing off Hotaru. If it hadn't been her, it would have been someone else, and she reasonably would have had to die for Crystal Tokyo's dawning anyways(which will happen if I ever write a sequel to this, there was one a trilogy planned…). I might write a brief epilogue if enough people review, including her funeral.

Big thank you to everyone who has helped along the way, beta-readers, editors, friends and reviewers. You are all amazing. Its been a great ride. Special thanks to MGray for beta reading and editing every chapter.


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